So last november when i was pulling desk duty for 3 months from a broken wrist, i was trying to think of something fun to do here at work. i come from a military background where we have lots of functions and "espirit de corps" type events but, for some reason, we don't have much for fun events in law enforcement.
enter the RM Mustache Contest...i remember thinking how fun that was (even though i didn't notice it in time to compete) and how perfect something like that would be for my agency.
i pitched the idea to the chief back in december and he gave me the unofficial go-ahead but i really had no idea how i'd pull it off. Fast forward 8 months to mid July.....
i approached the chief again about a Mustache Contest and brought up some ideas that would make it possible as a fund raiser.
1) Could we have relaxed grooming standards as the regulation stache is pretty boring.
2) Could we have the contest for 45 days.
He thought long and hard, and, after submitting my request up the chain it was approved! The parameters are as follows:
1. each officer must pay the $20 entry fee
2. mustaches may extend to the lowest part of the jaw line
3. sideburns are permitted and may "flare"
4. no goatee's or soul patches
5. after paying entry fee, each contestant must have picture taken with clean shaven face. then, at end of contest an "after" photo will be taken
in addition to some small gag prizes (gift certificate for a manicure for winner of the best boy band stache) the winner of each category will have their "after" photo placed in a collage with all other winners and the large picture collage frame will be prominently displayed in the back/prisoner hallway.
**all proceeds are going towards the Officer Down Memorial Fund**
http://officerdownmemorialfund.com/missionandgoals.aspx
So then i decided that, in order to increase participation, we needed multiple categories so that the dudes who can grow a dirk digler overnight wouldn't automatically win. so the categories are:
Best Overall
Best 70's
Best stache/sideburn combo
Best pre-teen/boy band
Worst mustache
I started promoting the contest in early august with contest dates from 8/24/09 - 10/9/09. We have about 40 contestants so far and a few are still on the fence.
After the initial contest is over a second one begins for anyone at the department. It will be a matching game of sorts. The before and after photos will be cropped to show only the lips and chin of each contestant. the cropped photos will be placed in a photo lineup format. each packet will be $5 and whoever can guess the most correct before/after cropped photos will win a nice prize.
The event t-shirts will be done this week, i hope...i'll post a pic of one when they come in.
So anyway...the officer responsible for starting the ODMF and i will be on a live newscast early next week to promote the contest and explain to the general public why a bunch of the cops look like cochese all of the sudden
I'd like to put a quick plug in for RM for coming up with the idea but i need to do it very subversively in the conversation. I need some suggestions from you guys on how i can work it in.
Here is the flyer i made for the event:
...and of course, my 1 week stache
so...throw out some suggestions of how i can work a RM plug into the newscast next week. here's how it's going as of now:
ODMF founder is going to explain the fund, then i'm going to explain the how/why of the contest and show examples of some of the officers with some rad staches. so come on RM...help me rep the forum!
enter the RM Mustache Contest...i remember thinking how fun that was (even though i didn't notice it in time to compete) and how perfect something like that would be for my agency.
i pitched the idea to the chief back in december and he gave me the unofficial go-ahead but i really had no idea how i'd pull it off. Fast forward 8 months to mid July.....
i approached the chief again about a Mustache Contest and brought up some ideas that would make it possible as a fund raiser.
1) Could we have relaxed grooming standards as the regulation stache is pretty boring.
2) Could we have the contest for 45 days.
He thought long and hard, and, after submitting my request up the chain it was approved! The parameters are as follows:
1. each officer must pay the $20 entry fee
2. mustaches may extend to the lowest part of the jaw line
3. sideburns are permitted and may "flare"
4. no goatee's or soul patches
5. after paying entry fee, each contestant must have picture taken with clean shaven face. then, at end of contest an "after" photo will be taken
in addition to some small gag prizes (gift certificate for a manicure for winner of the best boy band stache) the winner of each category will have their "after" photo placed in a collage with all other winners and the large picture collage frame will be prominently displayed in the back/prisoner hallway.
**all proceeds are going towards the Officer Down Memorial Fund**
http://officerdownmemorialfund.com/missionandgoals.aspx
So then i decided that, in order to increase participation, we needed multiple categories so that the dudes who can grow a dirk digler overnight wouldn't automatically win. so the categories are:
Best Overall
Best 70's
Best stache/sideburn combo
Best pre-teen/boy band
Worst mustache
I started promoting the contest in early august with contest dates from 8/24/09 - 10/9/09. We have about 40 contestants so far and a few are still on the fence.
After the initial contest is over a second one begins for anyone at the department. It will be a matching game of sorts. The before and after photos will be cropped to show only the lips and chin of each contestant. the cropped photos will be placed in a photo lineup format. each packet will be $5 and whoever can guess the most correct before/after cropped photos will win a nice prize.
The event t-shirts will be done this week, i hope...i'll post a pic of one when they come in.
So anyway...the officer responsible for starting the ODMF and i will be on a live newscast early next week to promote the contest and explain to the general public why a bunch of the cops look like cochese all of the sudden
I'd like to put a quick plug in for RM for coming up with the idea but i need to do it very subversively in the conversation. I need some suggestions from you guys on how i can work it in.
Here is the flyer i made for the event:
...and of course, my 1 week stache
so...throw out some suggestions of how i can work a RM plug into the newscast next week. here's how it's going as of now:
ODMF founder is going to explain the fund, then i'm going to explain the how/why of the contest and show examples of some of the officers with some rad staches. so come on RM...help me rep the forum!
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