October 22nd, 2024
Mankato – November is Men’s Health month which is commemorated by men growing beards and mustaches to encourage regular checkups for early cancer detection. In recognition and celebration of this important month, the JZ Cancer Fund will be holding its annual Mustache Bash on Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 4:00-7:00 p.m., at The Historic Post Office in Mankato, MN. The event will feature a Celebrity Bartender Challenge plus other activities to raise funds for the JZ Cancer Fund, a donor advised fund of the Mankato Area Foundation. Cancer survivor, Kevin Buisman has been named this year’s Mustache Bash Ambassador and is one of the eleven celebrity bartenders. He will be serving the JZ Cancer Fund’s signature beer—Hero Hazy IPA.
Buisman has served as the Director of Athletics for Minnesota State University, Mankato since 2002. He has been cited by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as one of the Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year. In November 2014, while at a regional championship event with his #1-ranked women’s soccer team, Buisman received the life-changing news that he had been diagnosed with head and neck cancer. After consulting with his close friend and cancer mentor Jonathan Zierdt (JZ), the pair bravely shared the news together publicly at the conclusion of the Mustache Bash event later that month. Buisman elected to defer surgery until after a run to the national title game for the Maverick football team in December 2014. In January 2015, Buisman underwent a successful surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, that was followed by treatment as part of a revolutionary Mayo clinical trial that was aimed at not only staving off cancer, but also in preserving a variety of quality-of-life elements.
This past summer, Buisman reached a 10-year milestone that produced no evidence of the disease, and he was permanently discharged from cancer care by his Mayo Clinic team. The successful outcome along with the loss of JZ and several other close friends to cancer has inspired Buisman to give back in the fight against the disease and he was recognized as the Honorary Survivor at the 2015 Blue Earth County Relay for Life. His story was also featured in his keynote address at the Spring 2018 Mankato Clinic Men’s Health Forum, and he served as an ambassador in the community’s inaugural “Power in Purple” campaign before later being tabbed as a Southern Minnesota Regional Ambassador for “Real Men Wear Pink” in October 2021.
Ten other local business leaders are also participating in a Celebrity Bartender Challenge serving up cocktails and mocktails at the upcoming 2024 Mustache Bash. They include Ryan Evenson – APX, Brooke Melius and Clinton Broviak, Exclusively Diamonds and Synergy HomeCare, Dain Fisher and Landon Brown – Coldwell Banker Commercial Fisher Group, Josh Madson -Number 4, Jim Heilman – CliftonLarsonAllen, Karla Marshall and Ryan Domeier – Rooms & Rest and Bennett Coughlan and Josephine Pence – The Fillin’ Station.
Tickets for the Mustache Bash are $50 and include beverage tastings and a brat/chili buffet. All proceeds benefit the JZ Cancer Fund. Tickets for the 2024 Mustache Bash can be purchased online at mankatoareafoundation.com.
The Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund supplies JZ Caring Boxes to medical providers for distribution to patients diagnosed with cancer. Each JZ Caring Box contains items to provide support and comfort, and access to information and resources, to cancer patients, their families and caregivers.
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About the JZ Cancer Fund
The Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund, a designated fund of the Mankato Area Foundation, was established in 2017 by Jonathan and Ginger Zierdt and a guiding coalition of engaged community leaders to build community cancer awareness and support. The fund is committed to community cancer awareness and support and has the vision of changing the cancer journey. For more information or to donate visit www.jzfullyalive.com.