Officer shaves mustache to benefit GreenHouse

Published 8:07 am Wednesday, December 15, 2010

It was years ago, but Lt. Mike Key keenly remembers going to a Christmas party hosted by the GreenHouse and seeing a child disappear after filling his plate.

“I got to looking around and saw where he had hid underneath a desk to eat, and it dawned on me — the kid was protecting his food,” said Key, a veteran of 26 years with the Dalton Police Department.

Many of those years Key also served on the board of the GreenHouse — a nonprofit organization under the auspices of the district attorney’s office and “safe place” where child victims of physical and sexual abuse in Whitfield and Murray counties can be counseled, interviewed by a trained child forensic interviewer and videotaped to assist criminal investigations. The agency also offers sexual abuse therapy to children and adults through trained counselors.

So being aware of the needs of the GreenHouse, Key knew just what to do when challenged recently.

Last Friday, the police department had its annual Christmas dinner at the Dalton Freight Depot. One of the highlights of this year’s function was the judging of a special challenge.

“Back in the fall some of our officers had decided to have a ‘best mustache’ contest,” spokesman Bruce Frazier let on. “It was to be judged at the Christmas dinner to see who could grow the best mustache. There were seven guys who took part and it was a big competition, except for the wives and girlfriends who had to put up with them.”

One of the “events” included seeing whose mustache could hold the most egg nog after the officer took a drink. Competitors also had to name their ’stache as part of the competition.

“The wives and girlfriends refused to wait until (the officers) got home to shave it off, so they went outside on the train-viewing platform to do it,” Frazier said.

Key, who was not in the contest, was helping with the shaving when he let it slip he’d donned his mustache for 36 years.

“One of the contestants said, ‘Why don’t you shave yours off?’ and then others started saying the same thing and they just kept on,” he said.

Key then came up with a throwdown of his own.

“I told them I’d do it if they raised $100 for the GreenHouse,” he said.

Frazier said it took less than four minutes to raise the money when checkbooks started coming out.

“He got that deer in the headlights look when he realized he was going to have to do it,” Frazier laughed. “It took about two minutes to shave it.”

Key said it “happened all at once” and he just blurted the dare out.

“I know they’re going through tough times,” he said of decreases in funding to the agency, “but they’re doing good work over there. The money may be used toward providing Christmas for a child who may not have the opportunity to have a normal Christmas. Or for whatever they choose, perhaps to pay for therapy for a child.”

Through the year, with its annual Toy Run for Kids and through other fundraising events, the police department has contributed $1,700 to the GreenHouse. Frazier said that amount does not include “a lot more toys on top of that.”

GreenHouse releases ‘wish list’

This Christmas, the GreenHouse is serving 71 children from nearly 40 families with clothes, toys and groceries at the GreenHouse’s annual Christmas party, said Director Pam Partain. Items on the agency’s “wish list” that will be used through the year include:

• Individually wrapped snacks such as Little Debbies or crackers.

• Capri Sun or other juice boxes.

• Canned soft drinks.

• Paper products (paper towels, boxes of facial tissues, toilet paper).

• Art supplies (construction/colored paper, glue, tape, chalk, crayons, markers, etc.).

• Sony DVD-Rs — used for recording forensic interviews.

• Volunteer time (office/clerical help, tutoring assistance, group activities, etc.).

“The cost of an hour of therapy is $56.25,” Partain revealed. “The cost to the GreenHouse client is nothing — that’s paid through grants and by Friends of the GreenHouse, a nonprofit organization that benefits the GreenHouse.”

For more information about how to get the gifts to the GreenHouse, call (706) 278-4769.