As nominations open for the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year award, presented by Wahl Trimmers, only one question remained: Where would the American Mustache Institute's 'Stache Bash 2012 -- the event at which the Goulet award winner is crowned -- be held?
The mystery was solved Tuesday morning during a stirring ceremony under St. Louis' Gateway Arch. Surrounded by local dignitaries and global leaders in the free facial hair movement, AMI chairman Dr. Aaron Perlut announced that the AMI's Arizona chapter had won the AMI Chapter of the Year, along with the right to host 'Stache Bash 2012 on October 27 in downtown Mesa. The event benefits the Barrow Neurological Foundation, a non-profit support foundation dedicated to raising funds for Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.
"We're thrilled to have a site set for our marquee annual event," said Dr. Perlut. "Our Arizona chapter truly earned the right to host 'Stache Bash 2012, and our community looks forward to bringing the thunder to metro-Phoenix and educating the region about about the sexually dynamic Mustached American lifestyle."
The highlight of each 'Stache Bash, of course, is AMI's annual honor -- the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year award, presented by Wahl Trimmers (nominate here). The award is given each year at 'Stache Bash has been noted by Time magazine, the NBC Nightly News, physicist Stephen Hawking, and High Times magazine as being on par with the Nobel Prize for Peace.
"The Goulet is not a best mustache award but recognizes the person who has best represented or contributed to the Mustached American community during the past year," added Dr. Perlut.
Past Goulet award winners include Orlando-area firefighter Brian Sheets, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Clay Zavada, retired New York City police detective Tim Galvin, and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher John Axford (read their stories here).
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