It’s nearing the end of November, the month when men can get away with growing whatever kind of mustache they want in support of cancer research.
Ottawa-based website Savingottawa.com, launched in March 2012, has teamed up with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation's ‘Stache for Cash campaign to help raise money for cancer research in the Ottawa area.
Saving Ottawa is a website that works with local businesses to provide savings on in-store and online products to Ottawa consumers. For merchants, it is a way to gain new customers and promote their business, while for consumers, it is a way to save money and try something new.
The company also has a unique charity component. When Saving Ottawa sells one of their deals online, a portion of the revenue goes directly to the merchant. The company takes the other portion and donates some of it to a local Ottawa charity. Saving Ottawa currently donates to the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, the Ottawa Food Bank, the Children’s Wish Foundation, the United Way, and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.
Accounts and marketing manager Bruce Lamothe says it is up to the consumer to pick which charity they want their money to go to. The customer can either redeem their deal online (if it is an online deal), or print out a coupon that they can take to the store or restaurant.
Lamothe says the business tries to rotate through the charities and organize a fundraising event tailored to each of them.
“It’s cool to have the tool there for the charity to make money off these sales,” he says.
When the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation asked Saving Ottawa to help out with ‘Stache’ for Cash, the company came up with the idea of having a deal for a traditional hot shave by a professional barber where all the money made would be donated to the cause. The hot shave deal is in partnership with Super Sam Barbershop located on Gladstone Avenue.
Saving Ottawa also organized a competition called Ottawa’s Best Mustache geared towards getting more people involved in the fundraiser. In order to enter the competition the contestant must post a picture of their mustache on the Saving Ottawa website. Through an online poll a winner will be chosen and awarded a cash prize of $1,000. Lamothe says the contest should encourage people to participate and be silly about their mustaches,
“If it makes your girlfriend kind of angry that you have this big mustache, do it anyway cause then you can treat her to something if you win.”
Erin Mcguire, events co-ordinator for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, says the hot shave deal and mustache competition were a great fit with their campaign. She says the partnership allows Saving Ottawa to promote ‘Stache for Cash through their contest and hot shave deal, and the ORFC is able to promote Saving Ottawa through the campaign,
“It’s a win-win situation,”she says.
David Hicks is one of the contestants in Ottawa’s Best Mustache. He says he heard about the contest by following Saving Ottawa on Twitter.
“I think it’s great that they are not just setting out as a commercial site, but they’re also doing some charity work,” Hicks says.
Saving Ottawa also hopes to bring Ottawa neighbourhoods together through the sale of their deals by encouraging people to go outside their comfort zone to try different restaurants and shops around the city, Lamothe says.
“By doing what we do it turns (Ottawa) into one big community,” he says.