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Confessions of a ‘Stache Faker

By Wanda Kelsey-Mendez, Communications Manager at Kansas City Hospice

Kansas City HospiceFebruary is Mustache Month for Carousel and I’m a ‘Stache Faker for the cause! I didn’t want to sit by the sidelines and watch men grow hairy lips when Kansas City Hospice began Mustache Month last year. So, I did a little daydreaming and a little brainstorming and figured out how to use my degree in theater to get a bit ridiculous. Well, more than a little ridiculous!

Communications Manager at Kansas City HospiceI confess that I don’t mind looking silly! Plus, the cause is close to my heart. Carousel Pediatric Care takes care of kids needing hospice or palliative care. They can start even before a baby is born and have a great team of professionals who care for all ages up to young adult.

Kansas City HospiceI knew I wanted to do something for each day. The 26 letters of the alphabet and the 28 days of February, well that works! I came up with a mustache theme for each day and then started taking selfies.

From “A is for Artistic ‘Stache” through “Z is for Zesty ‘Stache” I posted a new selfie each day.

 

Each day I posted to social media and got my friends and family to share. I had cousins ponying up from out of state plus local friends coughing up cash. In between the guffawing and general hilarity, of course!

Mustache Month for Carousel at Kansas City Hospice

To help get others in on the action, I got some coworkers together and held a “Brats for Tots” lunch at the office. 

I cooked hotdogs and brats with a painted-on mustache. Mustache on me, not on the dogs. Although…mustard mustaches on the dogs would have worked! Note to self – this is food for thought.

I baked chocolate mustache cookies and sold mustache lollipops. I also drew on mustaches with various eyeliners, lip pencils and other makeup. So many mustaches, so little time!

Mustache Month for Carousel at Kansas City HospiceAn unexpected encounter

One morning I stopped at McDonalds on the way back from an early meeting. I was sporting a really nice purple eyeliner handlebar mustache. Sitting in the drive through, a young man walked in front of my car and did a classic double take. He pointed at me and then at his lip and then gave me a big thumbs up. 

He did a roll-down-the-window motion and asked me “What’s up with the fabulous mustache? You look very dashing!” I told him about Mustache Month for Carousel and he dug a fiver out of his pocket. “This is for the kids,” he said.

Mustache Month for Carousel at Kansas City HospiceI won an award! The “Texas Hold ‘Em Award” was given to me for going “all in.” But, the most important thing is that I exceeded my fundraising goal and the kiddos at Carousel got some much needed support.

One ‘Stache Faker baked a huge mustache-shaped cake and auctioned it off. Spectacular! Several Fakers put mustaches on their pets, and who doesn’t love extra hair on a dog or cat? Whatever people can create this year, I’m looking forward to it. What would YOU do for kids in hospice? The sky is the limit!

Mustache Month for Carousel at Kansas City HospiceI’m still working on my plan for this year. If you have any suggestions, leave me a comment.

Do you want to help? Check out the Kansas City Hospice social media sites below and share, share, share!

I’m not above begging, so if you want to donate via my profile, here’s the LINK.

But, what I’d love most is for you to join me! Get in on the fun and help a cause right here in Kansas City. The families of kiddos in hospice need us to care. Did you even know that hospice for kids is a thing? Well, the least you can do is spread the word!

LEARN MORE AND JOIN THE CAUSE!

 

Carousel Pediatric Care at Kansas City Hospice

About Us

 
The mission of Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care is to bring expert care, peace of mind, comfort, guidance, and hope to people who are affected by life-limiting illness or by grief. Our vision is that each person in our community is valued from life through death and each family is supported in their grief.

 


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Our Programs

There's a long list of hospices in Kansas City, but there's only one Kansas City Hospice. Our programs provide comprehensive expert care for all ages at all stages of serious illness.

Hospice Care

When the focus shifts to comfort instead of treatment, care comes to your home or nursing facility with a plan tailored to your needs, including emotional and spiritual support for the whole family.

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Hospice Care

Palliative Home Health Care

When complex needs benefit from a team approach, supportive home care brings the care you need, with 24/7 nurse support for pain, stress and symptoms due to serious illness.

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Palliative Home Health Care

Community-Based Palliative Care

Beginning as early as diagnosis and at any stage of serious illness, our nurse practitioners make home visits as needed to help coordinate your care and provide expert pain and symptom management.

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Community-Based Palliative Care
Hospice House

Hospice House

When symptoms cannot be easily managed at home, two hospice houses provide 24/7 expert care in comfortable home-line settings where family members can be relieved of caregiving duties to focus on loved ones.

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Carousel Pediatric Care

Carousel provides palliative and hospice care for perinatal and for babies through young adults with a dedicated team of pediatric nurses, social workers, chaplains and other specialists.

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Carousel Pediatric Care
Solace House

Solace House

Our center for grief and healing supports individuals and families who have been impacted by the death of a loved one, whether anticipated, or sudden and unexpected. We provide opportunities to share, listen, learn and heal with peer group support from age 3 through adult.

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