Dirty Dusters Unite in Mustache Madness
by Matt DaSilva | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
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| Ken Clausen's chops (left) and Todd Faiella's Borat stache have set the bar for the Virginia men's lacrosse team in "Mustache Madness," an event founded by this duo and UVA trainer Rebecca Vozzo as a fundraiser for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Find more photos and information on how to donate at www.stashmadness.org |
Ken Clausen's flamboyance has found a cause. Congratulations,
universe. You win.
When Virginia's All-American defenseman decided to get a handlebar
mustache tattooed on his left index finger, he did it for humor. It
fit with his free spirit. Sheathed in his lacrosse glove, the
"fingerstache" would come out to lighten the mood when guys took
themselves too seriously.
Two years later, it's the inspiration for a movement to raise
awareness of a disease more guys should take seriously.
With the help of teammate Todd Faiella, a fifth-year transfer from
Brown, and UVA trainer Rebecca Vozzo, Clausen has founded a
fundraiser that has players and fans nationwide hanging up their
razors and growing cookie dusters of the real kind to benefit the
Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Men's lacrosse teams from Brown, Bryant, Geneseo, Gettysburg,
Hofstra, Maryland, North Carolina, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Robert
Morris, Texas, Towson, Virginia, Wake Forest and Yale have
registered for "Mustache Madness," a month-long event that has
already raised over $15,000.
US Lacrosse, the sport's national governing body and publisher of
Lacrosse Magazine, also has a team.
To donate on behalf of a team or individual, visit the
fundraiser home page at www.stashmadness.org.
The concept: grow a mustache, post pictures and rally with
teammates to secure donations with your newfound fuzz.
Although he's not the first to use facial hair as a platform for
highlighting men's health issues, Clausen figured he could
capitalize on the lacrosse community's fraternal infrastructure and
colorful characters.
"I was on vacation with my family in Fiji and ended up having a
conversation with two guys from Australia. They caught a glimpse of
my fingerstache, thought it was funny, and proceeded to tell me
about this event in Australia called Movember where everyone grows
a mustache and all proceeds go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation,"
Clausen said. "From that point on, I was figuring on a way to
incorporate that back home."
Gettysburg currently leads the team competition. The highest
fundraising team by midnight Nov. 30 will win the Mad Stache
Trophy. The best individual mustache will also be rewarded with a
trophy.
"Todd was Borat for Halloween. He's been growing his ‘stache
for almost two months now. There's a nice picture of him doing the
double thumbs up with an American flag behind him. He's been
impressive," Clausen said. "But some of the most impressive
‘staches are the ones that people can't really grow. It's
pretty funny to see them attempt to get it going."
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| Clausen's "fingerstache" tattoo sparked the idea for the fundraiser. |
It's been quite a philanthropic month for the Wahoos. On Nov.
10, they hosted a flag football tournament in memory of former UVA
captain Will Barrow, whose suicide a year ago shook the team's
core. Proceeds from that event - which was organized by Max Pomper
and drew lacrosse players from rival schools such as Johns Hopkins,
North Carolina, Maryland and Georgetown -- went to HELP, a
nonprofit, student-run crisis hotline.
Clausen wears custom eye black inscribed by the initials "WB" and
the number "23," Barrow's jersey number. "Coming up on the one-year
anniversary of his passing, we felt like we needed to do
something," he said.
"Mustache Madness" was founded in the same vein.
"We all have someone in our lives who has been touched by
cancer," Virginia head men's lacrosse coach Dom Starsia said in a
press release. "Although Ken likes the facial hair a little
too much already, we are all very proud of his efforts to raise
these funds. Part of the college experience is discovering
your responsibility to the community of mankind and it is nice to
see some college undergraduates acknowledge that
relationship. Ken is one of those young men who has become a
leader on and off the lacrosse field."
"We've been doing a lot of good things this fall," Clausen said.
"Seeing guys step up and do this has been great to see."
Prostate Cancer Statistics
* 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
* A man dies every 19 minutes from prostate cancer.
* Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in U.S.
