CULLMAN, Ala. – During the month of November, Cullman firefighters got into the spirit of giving through an unusual method: growing mustaches. Kyle Elliott, a member of Cullman Fire Rescue, said the “No Shave November” fundraiser raised $350 to benefit kids through the Cullman County Department of Human Resources (DHR).
“November is a special time of year. You’ve got Thanksgiving, you got Christmas around the corner, and you’ve got No Shave November,” Elliott stated. “No Shave November is a time for men to grow out their beards, but unfortunately fire fighters are not allowed to have beards due to safety reasons. So instead of beards, most firefighters grow mustaches – yes those hideous mustaches that the wives love so much – and this year the Cullman firefighters decided to partake in No Shave November.”
According to Elliott, a few of the firefighters participating decided to go further than just growing out their facial hair – they would grow it out for a purpose, and thus the “Upper Lip Championship” began. Participants competed to grow the best mustache (within department regulations) during the month of November, and the entrance fees paid to compete went directly to the children’s fund.
Elliott said the competition garnered a lot of departmental support, and they even had T-shirts made and booked a location to hold the contest.
“There’s already talk and planning of future events in hopes that it continues to grow,” he said. “A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the competition and donated, fire administration for the support, Initial Impressions for helping with the T-shirt designs and printing the shirts, Buffalo Wild Wings of Cullman for allowing us host the competition (all personnel and staff were compliant with current CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and state (COVID-19) guidelines) and Cullman County DHR for allowing us to help sponsor Christmas.”
Elliott finished by saying, “All of us at Cullman Fire would like to wish everyone a very safe and Merry Christmas!”
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