Firefighters sporting fuzz for charity

By Cassie Tomlin

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 | midnight

If a firefighter's new mustache looks a little out of place this month, go ahead and ask about it: He wants you to.

A few Boulder City firefighters are observing "Movember" and growing facial hair to draw attention to men's health, specifically prostate cancer.

Aaron Bleck, ringleader of the mustache-growing operation, said he heard of the Australian charity that sponsors Movember on the radio last year. This year, he recruited his co-workers in the crusade.

"I'm just trying to help out for a good cause, and I kind of like to see where my mustache is every year — best of both worlds," he said.

Those growing mustaches seek sponsors among their friends, family and co-workers, who donate money.

Last year in the United States, registered Movember participants raised $740,568 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a research institution.

Bleck, 22, said he doesn't know how much money his mustache raised last year, because donations are made online.

This year, Bleck got three fellow firefighters, including Matt Behrens to grow mustaches with him. Behrens said it's turned into a competition of who can grow one the fastest.

Behrens will get rid of his when the month is over. His wife doesn't like it, he said.

None of the participating firefighters will come home with exotic handlebar mustaches. Anything past the chin is not allowed, because it would get in the way of their masks.

Chief Kevin Nicholson approves of the grow-fest, though he's not participating.

"It's kind of a curse. I don't grow facial hair very well," he said.

For more information or to donate, go to the Web site us.movember.com.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or [email protected].