Yes, it’s back. Even though I was not able to grow a terrific (or even respectable) moustache last year, I was able to raise a nice chunk of money for my good friends at 826 CHI (a writing center that I volunteer at here in Chicago), and so I’m back at it again this year, in their yearly fundraising and facial-hair growing enterprise. But just like our nation at large, I’ve made some changes, and I have a little more hope than last time around.

• I have decided to go all out with my facial hair. While I have never been able to grow a moustache (and last year’s attempt was no big surprise in that vein), I have always been able to grow some good sideburns, and so this year I’m going to just go all the way. I’m going for the full mutton chop. I have no reason to believe that this will be any more successful than the moustache itself, but I found last year that the more people who asked me what was up with my face, the more people I got to donate money, so I feel that this tactic will have more of an impression on those around me.
• I feel like I know more people this year. I have no numbers to back this up, but 2008 was a productive year for me, and surely someone noticed.
• Oh, and I’m resorting to bribery this year. If you give money to my account (by going to 826 CHI’s official page and clicking on the PayPal button under Mike S. — that’s me), you’ll be entered into a drawing to win an amazing prize. I’m not quite sure what this prize will be yet (I have quite a few things in mind, including some things that are very valuable), but I will let you know before the contest ends what it will be.
• Additionally, for every $100 I raise, I will add something to the pot of things you might win for donating to me in the Moustache-o-thon, and add one to the list of winners (so that as you can convince others to give, the odds don’t change — if $100 is donated in total, I will choose one winner from among all of the donators, if $200 is donated, two winners, if $1,000, ten winners, and so on). The prizes could be anything. Perhaps it will be something personal to me or created by me, or perhaps it will be something of great financial value. You never know. As we hit $100 totals, I will reveal the prizes, so start donating now.

Cheap ploy, you may say? So be it. But as you can see from last year’s picture, my moustache isn’t going to win me any contests, so I might as well raise some money. To donate, you can just click on the PayPal button under my picture, or send me a check if you’d like (you can email me for my address).

The first check-in is two weeks away, and I assure you that I am growing my facial hair as fast as I can. Every time there’s an update, I’ll post a picture here, and I’ll reveal as many prizes as have been unlocked. The more money you give, the more prizes there will be, and the more creative I’ll have to be with them, so feel free to start giving now. In two weeks, when I am updated with the current totals, I’ll let you know what they are and where we’re at. Wish me luck.