Mustaches for a Mission: Bennington Fire & Rescue Supports Youth Emergency Services

By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photos

A charity event stage with participants holding up large numbers to represent fundraising goals, promoting the Mustaches for Kids Omaha initiative, which supports various charities and raises significant funds.

For the past month, members of Bennington Fire & Rescue have been sporting some new facial hair, all in the name of helping local youth.

Twelve members of the department are participating in the Mustaches for Kids fundraiser, a nationwide campaign that encourages participants to grow mustaches while raising money for organizations that support children and teens facing challenges. This year’s Omaha fundraiser is benefiting Youth Emergency Services (YES), an organization that provides support, housing assistance and safe spaces for vulnerable youth throughout the metro area.

Captain Eric Paulsen said the fundraiser was a natural fit for many firefighters. “Mustaches are kind of a tradition within the fire service,” Paulsen said. “So we figured we already have one or are growing one, so why not participate anyways, hopefully get some money to a good charity out of it.”

Paulsen said the department became involved after the sister of one of the firefighters, who works with YES, introduced the program and explained its mission. According to Paulsen, the organization’s work resonated with many members of the department.

“Having done this job and just looking around the place that we all live, we see tons of people struggling, whether it be for housing or safe places to be or stuff like that, but especially with the youth who are especially vulnerable,” he said. “This is a great way to give back and help those kids.”

While firefighters are competing to raise the most money and grow the best mustaches, participants say the friendly rivalry serves a larger purpose.

Firefighter/Paramedic Andrew Hoffman said each firefighter has an individual fundraising page, creating a fun competition within the department. “It’s a fun little way to fundraise, I suppose,” Hoffman said. “It’s been fun to keep track of who’s raised what.”

At the same time, he added, the real reward is seeing how much the group can accomplish together. “Altogether it’s cool to see what we can all do together and how much money we can raise for YES,” he said.

Hoffman admitted he was unfamiliar with the fundraiser before joining this year’s effort. After learning more about YES and the impact the organization has throughout the Omaha metro, he decided to get involved. “That was very eye opening because what’s happening in the background around in the metro area is amazing.”

And, he added with a laugh, “mustaches grow back.”

Not everyone participating is growing facial hair. Firefighter/EMT Kennedy Karschner has been supporting the fundraiser through donations and encouragement. “I donated to all them,” Karschner said. “I was still there the day they all shaved them, giving them moral support.”

She said supporting her fellow firefighters was an easy decision. “These guys- I haven’t been here very long, but they really have become like a second family to me,” she said.

Karschner hopes the community recognizes that firefighters are committed to helping people even beyond emergency situations. “I want people to know that it’s not just about saving them on their worst day,” she said. “We’re there for them no matter what.”

She pointed to the challenges many young people face, including housing insecurity and foster care placements. “It’s something that we all want to help out with however we can in our community and outside of it, too,” she said.

Firefighter/Paramedic Nate Johnson said he initially joined the fundraiser because the rest of his shift was participating. “But it’s for a good cause,” he added.

Now, he’s considering keeping the mustache even after the fundraiser ends.

“If this fundraiser is successful, is this something that you want to see be an annual tradition here?” he was asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Johnson replied. “I might keep the mustache too. We’ll see.”

Johnson said community-focused efforts like Mustaches for Kids demonstrate another side of the fire service. “It shows that as a fire department, we’re more than just people’s emergency services,” he said. “It allows us to have deeper involvement in other things besides just what we do.”

As the fundraiser enters its final days, firefighters are encouraging residents to contribute if they are able.

Hoffman said one of the easiest ways to donate is through the fundraising links shared on the Bennington Fire & Rescue Facebook page, where supporters can contribute to individual firefighters or the overall campaign. These links can be found below as well.

With only a few days remaining, the department hopes the community will rally behind the effort and help raise additional funds for youth in need.

Those interested in supporting Bennington Fire & Rescue’s Mustaches for Kids campaign can find donation links here:

A black and white portrait of a man with a prominent mustache, thick eyebrows, and round glasses, holding a cigar in his mouth, wearing a suit.

Close-up portrait of a man with a prominent mustache wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Photographic evidence of the firefighters’ current mustaches remains closely guarded. In the meantime, Bennington Fire & Rescue provided these reasonable approximations of what they believe their facial hair may resemble by the end of the fundraiser—and assures us they’re “close enough.”