November is Movember – the month that asks men to grow a moustache, to raise awareness of men’s health issues, especially prostate and testicular cancers, mental health and suicide.
It all started back in 2003, over a beer.
Two friends, in Melbourne, Australia, joked about bringing back the no-longer-popular moustache. The friends – Luke Slattery and Travis Garone – persuaded 30 friends to “Grow a Mo,” then turned the event into a fundraiser, asking for a $10 donation from each participant, to support prostate cancer research.
Movember became an official foundation in 2006, and continued to grow – with campaigns in the UK, Spain and New Zealand that year. Now, it’s a worldwide movement, funding over 1,250 men’s health projects in more than 20 countries.
In 2018, Movember raised $18.1 million in Canada alone.
This Movember saw plenty of new and struggling moustaches, including several in local council chambers. Innisfil Deputy Mayor Dan Davidson and Coun. Bill Van Berkel, and BWG Coun. Mark Contois were among the ‘Mo Bros’ sporting facial hair in November.
Dec. 3 is ‘Giving Tuesday.’ Although this year’s moustaches may be history, Movember is hoping to generate $500,000 in donations for men’s health issues in a single day, through ‘Dares for Donations.’
The dare can be anything that will inspire friends and family members to donate to the cause – from dyeing hair and moustache blue, to posting a Freddie Mercury imitation (moustache and all) on Facebook, to inviting the biggest donor to shave off your Mo.
“Capture it all on camera, post it, send it, share it far and wide,” the Movember website urges, to raise awareness of men’s health and funds for the cause.
Statistics show that one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Movember wants to change those stats, improving treatment and outcomes.
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