Holmes, PA – “We did it!” exclaimed Stache Master Ken Clausen as he proudly announced on Thursday that over $100,000 has been raised for Lacrosse Mustache Madness. With less than 24 hours remaining, $101,314 has been raised in total. Over the past six weeks lacrosse players from around the country have been growing mustaches of all shapes, sizes and styles to raise awareness and funds to support the HEADstrong Foundation™.
On Wednesday, campaign organizers asked their supporters for an early holiday miracle and their prayers were answered at 10:30PM when they received a pledge in the amount of $5,000 from Ryan Cranston, Founder of Care For The Cure Foundation™.
“I received a text message at 10:30PM on Wednesday evening from Ryan asking how far we were from reaching the $100,000 fundraising goal and I explained that we were $5,000 shy of hitting our mark.” said HEADstrong’s Chief Marketing Officer Pat Colleluori. What happened next was simply incredible. Cranston, on behalf of Care For The Cure, pledged $5,000 to make up the difference.
“We were really taken back Ryan’s act of generosity. The Cranston and Gallagher families have been very supportive of the HEADstrong Foundation over the years. We represent three families whose lives have been greatly altered by this disease and we are truly honored to call them a partner in the fight.” said Colleluori.
The funds raised through Lacrosse Mustache Madness will directly support blood cancer patients and their families through the essential services offered by the HEADstrong Foundation™. Campaign organizers Ken Clausen, Rebecca Vozzo and Pat Colleluori along with sponsors: Warrior and Brine are thrilled to announce that Lacrosse Mustache Madness has successfully generated over $400,000 since its inception in 2009.
With 1 day left in the campaign Syracuse’s Matt Walters is leading the fundraising pack, defending his title with $11,236.01 raised. Ben Kaminow is a close second with $10,007.00 raised and HEADstrong Texas Program Director Rich Moses at $8,659.00 is currently in third place.
In addition to growing mustaches this fall, several teams were creative with their fundraising efforts. The Men’s Lacrosse Team at the University of Tampa held an intersquad t-shirt selling competition which resulted in over $4,000 raised and Sutherland Middle School in Charlottesville, Virginia hosted a Mustache Madness themed corn-hole tournament in which 80 teams participated, generating over $2,500.
Top 10 Individual Fundraisers as of 12/5/13
Matt Walters – $11,236.01
Ben Kaminow – $10,007.00
Rich Moses – $8,659.00
Sean McDonagh – $6,050.00
Rebecca Vozzo – $3,147.22
Tracey Saxon – $2,291.06
Kevin Rowen – $2,190.00
Bill Yinger – $2,175.00
Doug Tesoriero – $1,750.00
Pat Fiorvanti – $1,500.01
Top 10 Fundraising Teams as of 12/5/13
Syracuse Lacrosse – $23,208.01
Harvard University Men’s Lacrosse – $15,722.02
HEADstrong Texas – $9,724.00
Friends of Virginia Lacrosse – $7,156.44
University of Tampa Men’s Lacrosse – $4,000
The Hill School – $3,212.34
Hamilton College Men’s Varsity Lacrosse – $2,945.00
LaxAllStars.com – $2,375.00
Sutherland Middle School – $2,291.06
Cornell Men’s Lacrosse – $1,750.00
“We are truly ecstatic to have achieved our $100,000 fundraising goal for the second consecutive year. We cannot thank the lacrosse community enough for rallying in support of Lacrosse Mustache Madness. The tireless efforts, commitment and dedication of our participants and supporters have been so incredible and overwhelming. To think that in 5 years we have raised over $400,000 to support blood cancer patients and their families is incredible and something we take much pride in. We hope that Lacrosse Mustache Madness will remain a staple in the lacrosse community for years to come and we are strategically planning ways to expand the competition within the sport and inspire mass participation. This year 249 fundraisers raised $100,000, which was nothing shy of a miracle, just think what we could do if 1,000 people joined next year. This is a huge victory for both Lacrosse Mustache Madness and the HEADstrong Foundation and we are truly thankful to everyone. “ Ken Clausen, LMM Co-Founder
“On behalf of the HEADstrong Foundation, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who participated, contributed to or sponsored Lacrosse Mustache Madness this year. As a Foundation we are inspired by the generosity and commitment of the lacrosse community. $100,000 is an incredible achievement and it is even more amazing to know that Lacrosse Mustache Madness has helped raise over $400,000 since its inception in 2009. The proceeds will be instrumental in allowing us the ability to strengthen our commitment to patients and families affected by blood cancers. We wish to sincerely thank Ken Clausen, Rebecca Vozzo, our sponsors, partners and all of those who were involved this year.” Cheryl Colleluori, HEADstrong President and Nick’s Mom.
For more information on Lacrosse Mustache Madness go to www.laxstachemadness.com.
