11:52am Sunday 26th August 2007
By Simon Barrett
To some it is the preserve of dictators, 70s footballers and sleazy porn stars, while to others it is the ultimate mark of a man.
Now the humble moustache has inspired a group of colleagues to come up with a hair-brained scheme to raise money for charity.
Workers at Mistral Internet, based in North Road, Brighton, invented the "Tache Off" during a drunken conversation at the Font and Firkin pub in the Lanes.
The furry friends have each spent the whole of August growing a moustache. The idea has sprouted into a worldwide phenomenon and has been featured on Radio 1 and even the USA Today website.
Craig Brown, 32, one of the founding members of Tache Off, said: "It all started last year, when we were in the pub talking about who could grow the best moustache. We decided to each grow a tache for three weeks, it was just a laugh really and there was a lot of banter flying around.
"We decided to do it again this year for the whole of August and the idea has really taken off. We've got about 50 people taking part and even a guy in Spain.
"Each week we have updated the website with progress pictures. Unfortunately I'm blond and my tache is not one of the best. There is not really a winner, its more that if you drop out you are a loser. Those who get to the end of the month are all winners."
In search of a patron, the Tache Off team wrote to several celebrities famous for their facial fuzz, including Smokey and the Bandit star Burt Reynolds, Olympic legend Daley Thompson and 80s TV icon Tom Selleck.
Eventually legendary porn star Ron Jeremy stepped forward to take the prestigious role.
David Elliot, 29, another founding member of the group, said: "The publicity we have received this year has been unprecedented.
"We have had hundreds of people asking about it, so next year we will make it a much bigger event and get people from all over the world involved.
"We are thinking of charging a few pounds to enter and raising more money for charity. It has really caught the imagination."
The Tache Off - which now has its own wikipedia entry and a Facebook group - reaches its climax on Friday when a party will be held at the Honey Bar on Brighton seafront.
It has raised money for Amnesty International and aims to raise thousands more next year. For more information visit www.tache-off.co.uk.
Meanwhile the World Beard and Moustache Championships 2007 take place at the Brighton Centre on Saturday September 1.
The event begins with a parade along the seafront starting at 10.30am from Brighton Town Hall. Spectator tickets for the Brighton Centre cost £5 per person, £2.50 for children or £10 per family.
All profits will be donated to The Rockinghorse Appeal and Tacheback testicular cancer charities. For more information about the championships, visit www.handlebarclub.co.uk.
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