Tabor student uses moustache to raise funds for others

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN MELISSA NICKEL
Tobias Berg likes to be ridiculous.

“This is a pretty ridiculous way to raise money, but I am a pretty ridiculous person,” he said.

Berg, a Hillsboro native, promised to shave his moustache if he raised $500 for Mennonite Disaster Services last month.

He did just that after collecting beyond his goal totaling $618.83.

For seven days, Berg sat outside the cafeteria during lunch hours from 11 to 1, holding his Looney-Toons glass jar, asking for a couple of dollars or loose change.

“I felt the need for me to raise money for a charity,” he said. “I spend a lot of my time wasted, (so I) wanted to make good with some of that free time.”

After talking with some friends, Berg said he “decided it would be cool” if a group of guys on campus would grow moustaches.

“I don’t know why I made this connection between the two,” he said. “I knew it would be something that wouldn’t look very good, so I thought it would be a fun thing to make it where if I raise enough money, then I’ll shave it off.”

When Berg decided to raise money for a charity, he chose MDS because of his Mennonite Brethren roots.

“It’s organizations like MDS and (Mennonite Central Committee) that make me proud to be a Mennonite, and I wanted to support their work,” Berg said.

According to its Web site, MDS is a way Anabaptist churches can respond to those affected by disasters in North America.

The organization focuses on rebuilding homes after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

“They’re working in a lot of small communities in the Louisiana area that you don’t hear about,” Berg said. “I’ve lived in a small town all my life, so I can relate to that.”

Berg has lived in Hillsboro since sixth grade and graduated from Hillsboro High School in 2004.

Ben Schmidt, a Tabor senior who donated to Berg’s cause, has been on the giving and receiving end of MDS aid.

“In 1990, we got hit by a tornado and MDS really helped us out,” said Schmidt, a Goessel native. “After that, we made it a family deal to do MDS.”

Physical needs aren’t the only concern of MDS.

“It’s not just about cleaning up houses,” Schmidt said. “They have people that just sit and talk with the person that had the disaster happen to them. So, they do focus on every aspect of the person, not just the physical situation.”

After Berg sent the check to MDS for the amount of the donations, Emprise Bank called him to report the over counting the amount by $100.

“Even though this news was horrible, it made sense with the numbers that I calculated during the week,” he said.

What happened next Berg described as a “miracle.”

“In my mail was an envelope with my name on it, and inside was one of my flyers and a $100 bill,” he said. “I have no idea to this day who sent it to me, but it came just in time.”

Berg discovered more than he bargained for during his project.

“Something that really inspired me to work hard at this project was knowing that it was not about me,” he said. “I was getting absolutely nothing out of this.”

The experience also opened up Berg’s eyes to a possible career choice.

“I’m a junior and I’m undeclared, but I think this experience has led me to think about doing charity work after I graduate,” he said. “Currently, I’m looking into what kind of major and pathways I should take in order to do something like that.”

As Berg’s academic adviser, Don Krebs, director of student success at Tabor, sees more in Berg than a career path.

“(He) just has a compassion to reaching out to people that may be hurting or struggling,” Krebs said. “He’ll sacrifice a little here to help somebody else.”

Melissa Nickel is a student in the Mass Media Writing I class at Tabor College. Her article was was a class assignment.

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