CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Piedmont CASA and Foothills Child Advocacy Center will be hosting its second annual “Mustaches4Kids” event throughout the month of November.

The event kicked off Monday with an event at Random Row Brewing Company.

The fundraiser will have participants grow out the best mustache they can over the course of the month, with “growers” soliciting donations from friends, family and others along the way. The organizations will also hold a hold a “Midway Checkpoint” event at Hogwaller Brewing on Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., and the whole fundraiser will culminate in the “‘Stache Bash” on Dec. 3 at Eastwood Farm & Winery, where a panel of judges will award prizes to the “Sweetest ‘Stache” as well as the “Weakest ‘Stache,” and growers are encouraged to come in costume to go along with their new facial hair. All three of the events will be open to the public.

Registration for the competition remains open.

Piedmont CASA Event Coordinator Ann Douglas Irby told Cville Right Now that men and women can participate, and their mustaches can either be real or fake. The “Weakest ‘Stache” award is also designed to encourage those who might be able to grow a full mustache to still participate in the event.

Irby said the event is “all in good fun,” but will make a huge impact on the community with all proceeds being split between the two hosting organizations. Piedmont CASA train, recruit and provide court-appointed special advocates for children in the foster care system of Charlottesville, Albemarle and other surrounding counties. Foothills serve a similar function, providing a welcoming space to children who may have experienced abuse, trafficking or witnessed violence. The center’s staff members had a wide range of expertise’s, including children’s services, law enforcement and medical and mental health professionals, among others, who provide support to both children and their families.

“All the money we raise will be split equally between the two nonprofits,” Irby said, “and it will all go to this work that we do for vulnerable children.”

Irby added that Piedmont CASA currently has a waitlist of “about 50 children” who are waiting for CASAs, despite the organization “constantly training people,” with 18 new CASAs set to be inducted later this month.

“It’s an indication of how great the need is,” Irby said.

For those looking to support the “Mustaches4Kids” fundraiser, Irby said the best way to get involved is to register as a grower, which costs just $25 to do. However, for those not looking to grow out a mustache but still looking to support the cause, there is a link to donate directly to the cause on the fundraiser’s website. Irby also encouraged community members to come out to the events, saying more people “makes for a rowdier, [more fun] time.” Overall, Irby said the aim of the event was to be fun while supporting a good cause.

“The whole point of it is to be light-hearted,” she said, “to poke fun at ourselves and have fun with growing mustaches. The idea is that if somebody look and says, ‘Why are you growing a mustache?’ The answer is it’s for the kids.”