The Reason for the (Mustache) Season

Last night, six of M4KDC's staches represented the gang on a tour of Children's National Medical Center, the beneficiary of our mustache largesse. One of the volunteer coordinators, Katie, gave us an incredible tour of the facilities. They are pretty pumped about the new tower - 10 years in the fundraising/planning/making - which just opened on Nov. 18. Childrend in the Pediatric ICU went from sharing a huge open space with only curtains for privacy, to having individual rooms with reclining chairs and day beds for their parents, so that they can stay in the room overnight with a sick child. The rooms have state of the art technology at the touch of a remote, so children can look up the medicine they're taking and find out more about it, or a parent can look up a hospital directory instantly, or check their email so they can do work while they're sitting with their child. Katie said that on "moving day" when they were transporting the children in gurneys to the new facility, the kids' eyes just lit up when they saw the new space: each floor has a tremendous amount of bright color, from floors to ceilings. Neon lights and stars decorate the elevator areas. There is an art therapy room for kids to come in and out of at any time during the day while they're waiting for treatment and spacious new playrooms and family waiting areas. Each patient room is equipped with a sweet flatscreen tv - which was probably what impressed some of our growers the most ;)

Children's provided roughly $53 million in uncompensated care last year. Families in the area know that they will never be turned away for treatment, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. The hospital even has a primary care doctor on site, so that neighborhood families - largely low income - have a place to go for routine check-ups.

As a non-profit, Children's relies almost exclusively on donations of all sizes, large corporate sponsors and boxes of girl scout cookies. (And in our case, a few guys growing funny-looking mustaches.) The Kids Care Fund, which we contribute to, is a huge general fund that basically goes wherever there is need - and while there is always need everywhere, most of the time that goes to the $50+ million in care that the hospital gives to children of families who can't afford to pay.

And We Thought Our 'Stache Had It Hard...

say, mustache...where are you from anyway?

my burgeoning lip wig has caused a pretty wide array of responses, but a recurring theme has been people trying to attribute some national identity to my new look. i have gotten french, mexican, my mom even told me that i looked like a venetian gondolier. all this has made me wonder, what nation can truly claim the stache?