MANCHESTER, NH – Bartenders are some of this reporter’s favorite people. They’re friends, pharmacists, psychiatrists, DJs, and sometimes fight referees all wrapped up into one. This week I learned that sometimes they don a cape and do outstanding work for the community as well.
Last night wrapped up the annual Movember festivities. For the uninitiated, Movember is a grassroots fundraising movement begun by a group of friends in Australia in 2003. The idea is that participants refrain from shaving their upper lip, which invariably draws questions from friends and loved ones. This allows the participant to encourage people to donate to the cause, which for Movember always revolves around men’s health. The Movember movement started as a prostate cancer charity, but it has grown to encompass all men’s health, focusing on prostate and testicular cancer and mental health.
To that end, a group of local Manchester bartenders formed a fundraising team and held various parties and events to raise money all month long, culminating in a bash at the City Hall Pub Nov. 30 where they pulled out all the stops with prizes, drink specials, raffles, etc. It was quite the soiree.
Organizer Bryan Thibault explains: “We’ve been doing this for the past five years, in the month of November, for men’s cancer and mental health awareness. We raise money all month long, but this is the fun one at the end; most of the city comes together and we have beer tasting, prizes, and raffles, and all the money goes back to the movement. We have bartenders from all over the city – it’s good because as you go out in the city you see mustaches on people that usually have beards or no mustaches, and then you’re like ‘why do you look like that’?
Bartender participant Sam Graham picks it up: “You see a guy that doesn’t usually have a mustache, someone asks them ‘what’s this about?’, you tell them, explain it, and raise awareness. I lost my brother to suicide in 2020, so it means a lot. I jumped in this year and I’m excited to do it year in and year out after this.”
The proprietor of City Hall Pub (an establishment this reporter highly recommends) was kind enough to chip in and host the finale party last night. Owner Tim Baines on the opportunity: “A few of our awesome longtime employees have been passionate about this over the years and we let them run with it – it’s a very tight-knit community among the bartenders and waitstaff and whenever the community has a chance to come together for a good cause it’s awesome.”
And it’s been quite fruitful, too. The Mustacholes, as they call themselves, raised $6,734 last year, so they set a target of $10,000 for 2022’s drive. They’ve crushed that goal, raising $15,917 thus far!
So please, the next time you get your tab at one of our local pubs or restaurants, throw the barkeep a little extra cash. They’re looking out for a lot more than just your beverages! No doubt some razors were pushed back into duty this morning, but the Mustacholes will return in a year or so, and we’re all better for it.
The Mustacholes and their establishments are:
- Bryan Thibault – City Hall Pub
- Oscar Santana – City Hall Pub
- Sam Graham – Hanover Street Chophouse
- Mike Prisco – blu Aqua
- Kyle Donovan – Shopper’s Pub and Eatery
- Rich Boudreau – Ruby Tuesdays
- Cam Clayton – The Puritan
- Cory Rencricca – Lowell American Legion
- Brian Nerny – The Crown Tavern
- Jeremy Hart – Industry East
- Tristan George – Industry East
- Devin Galipeau – Industry East
If you would care to donate to the cause, the Mustachole’s team page can be found here.
City Hall Pub is located at 8 Hanover Street in Manchester.