Movember/Bros On Broadway Wrap Up

It was a mustache to remember. The Hotel Donaldson, our compatriots in Grand Forks, a bunch of mustached guys, some caring non-mustached women and plenty of supporting area businesses raised just over $30,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation during the month of "Movember." (For more on Movember, click here, here and here.) If you were involved, give yourself a big round of applause.

We capped off Movember with Bros On Broadway, a benefit event and celebration of the mustache. We had great music, lots of chili and nachos and, well, a lot of mustaches. A hearty thanks to Britta at Milestones Photography for the great photos.

Here's Bill "My Name Is Earl" Lempe, who was also our Man of Movember. Singlehandedly, he raised over $1,000 and, for an encore, played some tunes:


Mustaches were painted on the mustache-less:


... while others did their best to "Sabotage" things.


It was a star-studded event. Albert Einstein was quoted as saying "E = mustache squared," but Charlie Chaplin let his "toothbrush" 'stache do the talking:


We gave away plenty of mustache awards, including the "E for Effort Never There Award," which went to Austin (left). He really did try, folks...


...but there were some serious mustaches. The real deal:


(For more photos, please visit our Facebook page.)

We thank everyone who was involved with Movember and with Bros On Broadway. We had a blast and raised some serious funds for a great cause. If you didn't get in on the fun this year, there's always next year. And, in the meantime, please use this opportunity to educate yourself on men's health issues - particularly prostate health - and give a hand to the Prostate Cancer Foundation while you're at it. You can visit them online at www.prostatecancerfoundation.org.

We'll see you next Movember!

Rock That 'Stache at Bros On Broadway!

Just a few short days until Bros On Broadway, our Movember-ending celebration of the mustache and benefit for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The excitement, much like the presence of a lip warmer, is palpable.

The whole shebang gets started at 5 p.m. this Sunday the 30th. Although neither are necessary, be sure to be rocking your mustache and dressing the part if you can – and be sure to coordinate with your team or your MoSista or MoBro. We’ll be awarding prizes in a number of categories, including:

*Best Rock Star Mustache
*Most Civilized Mustache
*The Salvador Dali Experimental Mustache
*The “E for Effort” Never There Award
*Best Mustache/Costume Combo
*Best Team Presentation

And, of course, we’re awarding a prize for the Best in Show. Does your mustache have what it takes? That will be determined by our panel of “mustachionado” judges: Kerstin Kealy, Jack Sunday, Sandy Buttweiler, KY, John Lamb and Mike Swanston.

Speaking of, we are pleased to note that we’ll be awarding prizes for mustaches and, in case you don’t have one, through a raffle. We’re talking serious prizes, folks, from generous supporters like Bernie’s Liquors, Silver Moon Supper Club, Straus Clothing, Take 2 Video, Usher’s House, Ace Hardware, Salon Why?, M.J. Capelli’s, a.k.a., Atomic Coffee, Zandbroz … and many more. We’re also awarding tickets to the upcoming Black Crowes show, the upcoming Old Man Winter festival (featuring Trampled By Turtles), and a Fargo Force game at the brand new Urban Plains Center. If that’s not enough, we’ll be giving away a night in the Big Dog Suite at the Hotel Donaldson, dinner for two in the HoDo Restaurant and a party for the winning fundraising team in Stoker’s. All this for growing a mustache or supporting someone who does? You bet.

Oh yeah. In addition to all of that, we’ll have food, fine beverages, the Vikings/Bears game and music from the Johnson Family Band, Amanda Standalone and Wasi the Magician, Bad Mojo, Blue Wailers, Flatlands and Jon Wayne. There will be face painting on hand in case you didn’t grow a mustache and photography-on-demand if you want documentation of the evening.

Tickets are a steal at $25. A ticket includes food and a complimentary beverage, and is available at the door or at www.fargostuff.com. If you raised over $100 as part of a Movember team, you get in for free. Come on out for a grand party before shaving that mustache on Monday morning. Call 701.478.1000 if you have questions.

Movember!

Team MoDo - The Before Photo

Here is a good contingent from the Hotel Donaldson's own Movember team, MoDo. (From l to r) Top: Austin, Tim and Jason. Middle: Ben, Dale and (team captain) Josh. Bottom: Andy, Chad, Bill and Kris (your humble narrator). You can donate to our team, and benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation, by going here and searching for our team. You can also donate to our competition, WoMoDo, the MoSistas of the HoDo.

We took this photo about four days into the growth period. Even with that head start, there's not too much happening above those upper lips. Dale is probably doing the best, but Ben's has its charms as well. Me, I'm learning that the difference between grooming a mustache instead of a beard is the difference between wielding a scalpel and operating a weedwacker. And, somehow, the effect makes your face look even mangier. Curious.

If this is your first exposure to Movember, you can find out more at www.movember.com or by reading previous posts here and here. It's not too late to register a team or as an individual - men and women are welcome to gather donations, mustache or not. Visit Movember to register a team. And, don't forget about Bros On Broadway, a benefit for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, on Sunday, November 30th.

If you'll excuse me, I have to pluck.

Get Your Movember Teams Together!

Movember is fast approaching! In just two short days, all participants will need to shave clean and get those mustaches growing and begin raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Participation is quick and easy. Start a team of friends, colleagues or family (women too!), register your team at Movember.com, then email us at info@hoteldonaldson.com so we can track your progress. From there, use the tools available at Movember.com to raise some serious cash ... raise enough and you'll qualify for some great prizes. Also, mark your calendars for the big Movember bash, Bros On Broadway, on Sunday, November 30th. We'll have bands, food, beverages and a lot of mustache related fun.

If you're on the fence about growing a mustache, remember this: it's for a great cause and it will be a lot of fun. You'll make every guy you see without a mustache green with envy. Come on. You know you want to try it just this once.

Call 701.478.1000 for details. Click here for more information, or visit www.movember.com.

The Mustache Rides Again!

Face it, folks. The much-maligned mustache is staging a comeback. Not only is it coming back but, contrary to popular belief, it's also a force for good.

We're asking men to grow a lip warmer during the month of November while raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and generating awareness of men’s health issues. Participants will start clean shaven on November 1st, then grow their mustache over the course of the month. All men - and women - can join a team of coworkers, friends or family and get in the fun by gathering donations. This local effort is part of the global “Movember” fundraiser with participants throughout the United States, Australia, Europe and Canada (“mo” is Australian slang for a mustache).

We're spearheading the local effort and will host the all-ages Fargo Movember party, Bros on Broadway, on Sunday, November 30th with prizes for local fund raising groups. We will also award prizes for the best mustaches and ... wait for it ... costume/mustache combinations. Who would you be? Magnum P.I.? Borat? The Stranger (above)?

Find out more or register your team and team members at www.movember.com. Also, tell us about your team here at the HoDo so we can track your progress. You can reach us at 701.478.1000 or via email at info@hoteldonaldson.com. Keep tabs on the local Movember fun through our Facebook page.

Why do this? Part of the answer is a lack of awareness about the health issues faced by males. Also contributing to the problem is an attitude of having to be tough "real men" and men's reluctance to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical check ups. The aim of Movember is to change this attitude, make men's health fun by putting the "Mo" back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key men's health issues.

Get your team together today!