Movember: Changing the face of men’s health
| Date Posted: 11/15/2012 | Author: Mandy McCue
Photo from movemeber.com
It’ officially Movember! No, that’s not a type-o. Movember, known to some people as NoSHAVEmber, is an annual, month long men’s health initiative to raise money and awareness of prostate and testicular cancer. Over 250,000 men are affected by prostate and testicular cancer every year and prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. (Source: American Cancer Society) All of the money raised through these hairy campaigns goes to funding men’s health foundations such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation as well as funding awareness and education and a Global Action Plan for further research of prostate cancer.
HISTORY
The scene takes place in 2003 at a bar in Melbourne, Australia. Adam Garone and his friends, or mates as the Australians would say, were discussing the recurrence of 80’s fashion over some beers. They noticed a lot of the fashion statements were returning except for one, the moustache. After deciding to grow out their Mo’s, Mo is slang for a moustache in Australia, a later conversation arose about prostate cancer; hence the birth of Movember.
In 2007 Adam moved from Australia to L.A. taking his Movember idea with him. After being picked up by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the charity has exponentially grown every year. In 2011, records were set for the Movember Foundation with over 850,000 participants raising $126.3 million for men’s health. 2012 is expected to create new records with official campaigns running in 21 countries across five continents with over 900,000 participants.
RULES
Once registered at Movember.com each “Mo Bro” must begin with a clean shaven face on November 1st. Participants of Movember are referred to as Mo Bros and Mo Sistas are women who support the initiative. After registering each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache for the entire month of November. A participating Mo Bro must not join his mo to his sideburns; this would be considered a beard. There is also no joining of the handlebars to one’s chin; that’s a goatee. Lastly, each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true country gentleman.
Movember participants become walking talking billboards for a full month while simultaneously raising money through sponsorship's Through their actions and words, they raise awareness by prompting conversations around often ignored men’s health issues.
Help support the cause by participating or by donating. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and is a serious disease that needs serious treatment. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s FirstHealth Cancer Services offers treatment options for prostate cancer patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond. For more information on treatment or support please call (910) 715-3500.
