17�Թ���

Georgia department commander’s bounty of $35,000 on shaving his handlebar mustache will be met to support veterans. 

There’s a $35,000 bounty on the handlebar mustache of American Legion Department of Georgia Commander Michael Schwartz. It’s been a fixture of his appearance for the last decade. But that’s about to change.

At the end of June, his mustache will be shaved off on stage at the department’s convention thanks to the fundraising efforts of his American Legion Family.  

They are over $27,000 of his $35,000 goal.

“They are doing whatever they can do to raise the money,” Schwartz said. “And they've done a really good job of it because my adjutant will call me and go, ‘You’re in trouble.’ It's all been a lot of fun.”

Creativity can be an asset for departments, posts and others that are looking for ways to achieve their fundraising goals. To drive a successful fundraiser, you wouldn't necessarily need unique facial hair to generate awareness and action — just a creative idea that inspires donors.

Thinking outside the box for fundraising efforts can be anything, Schwartz encourages, as you don’t have to offer up your mustache and carry new grooming tools. Schwartz can’t trim his handlebar mustache, which has never been this long. So he’s had to get creative himself to maintain it.

“Every day I'm waxing it because it gets in my mouth, my food, and I carry with me a comb to comb the sides to keep it out of my mouth. That's an acquired skill because I don't need a comb,” as he removes his cap to reveal a bald head. “This has been a lot of fun. And that's what it's all about. You have to have some fun in this job.”

Schwartz challenged the Georgia Legion Family last year upon his election as department commander to raise $35,000 for the department’s Georgia Veterans Fund. One hundred percent of donations to the fund go toward purchasing toiletries, clothing and other comfort items for veterans at VA medical centers and nursing homes in the state. While fundraising for the Georgia Veterans Fund is the commander’s challenge each year, this year’s goal is doubling donations.  

“I started thinking about what can I do to motivate people for fundraising and giving. One day I was waxing my mustache, and I went, you know what? I think I'm going to offer my mustache up for a challenge,” said Schwartz, who added that when he announced the offering to the Department Exeuctive Committee that everyone gasped because they have not seen him without it. Then he took it a step further.  

“I said, if you can raise the $35,000, I'll let the (Department of Georgia) NECman (Phil Youngblood) shave it off. So the clippers are ready. The NECman’s ready.”

How has Schwartz been pushing fundraising?

“I haven't been. I've been trying to protect my mustache,” he laughs. “But my department's been very creative.”

There’s a “wanted” poster circulating around the department. It’s a photo of Schwartz with an arrow pointing at his mustache for the $35,000 bounty. And the phrase “With great mustache comes great responsibility” is featured, a phrase coined by Department Membership Coordinator Ben Sinclair.  While Legionnaires, Legion Riders, Auxiliary and Sons of 17�Թ��� members have held cookouts, banquets, dances and more.  

“It's put joy back into giving because scripture says you should be a cheerful giver,” Schwartz said. “And sometimes you feel like you're pulling your teeth having to give money to things, but this one has been fun. Everybody's been very cheerful about it and that's probably the best part about it is it's given people a chance to enjoy sharing their blessings.”

Schwartz said donations to put him at or over his $35,000 goal will come during department convention next month. Posts, Riders, units and squadrons are “actually having debates on who’s going to give the check that puts it over the top,” he said.

And when the number ticks $35,000, “I'm pretty sure there's going to be a wet eye because it's very emotional because giving across the board has been down over the last few years,” due to fires, hurricanes and other circumstances, “and for them to come together for a silly mustache, it's turned the tide.”

Those fundraising efforts of Georgia’s Legion Family have been inspiring for Schwartz.

“As an ordained minister, I love to see people with compassion. And when we have the representatives from the nursing homes and the VA hospitals come to our convention and we look at them and say, ‘We’d like to give you a check for $5,000 or $10,000’ from our (Georgia Veterans) Fund, it’s pretty overwhelming sometimes to them. They are very touched by that gift.”