MOVEMBER
By Danielle Jordan
The ladies have Race for Life supporting Breast Cancer Awareness, and in recent years, November has become the month for the lads to raise money for men’s health. Dubbed ‘Movember,’ the idea is that on October 31st, men shave for the last time for the next 30 days, and grow and groom a moustache in return for sponsorship money. In fact under official Movember rules, each ‘Mo Bro,’ is supposed to use the power of the moustache to create conversations about men’s health and must conduct themselves like a true gentleman. As the popularity of Movember has grown, more and more employers who may normally have a stricter facial hair policy are supporting the movement, even setting up work teams and or company events in support of the cause such is the increase in participation.
But where did such an influential movement start? In Australia in 2003 by just two friends Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, who got 30 other people to join them, in that first year, the logo was designed and rules were set out (rules that are still the same 11 years on), one of the original 30 participants, Adam Gerone registered the company and set up a website with Justin Coghlan running the Queensland campaign the following year, and in 2004 Spain and the UK joined in the event with all costs being covered by the four founders. All donations went to the PCFA (Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia) and it was the single largest cheque they had ever received! They were the first official beneficiary’s of the now unstoppable Movember!
The campaign has steadily grown from there and now supports many aspects of mens health with several partnerships and more and more countries now taking part. So much so that since 2003, over four million people have participated, 770 men’s health projects have been funded, 12 countries take part and an incredible £346 million has been raised!
And you don’t have to be a man to get involved, the official website encourages ‘Mo Sista’s’ to hold fundraising events, support fellow ‘Mo Bros’ and generally assist the cause. Whole communities can take part, sports teams and any individuals can join in. In fact, with the huge importance on exercise and having an active healthy lifestyle, within the Movember movement there is a sub section known simply as ‘MOVE,’ encouraging people to ‘MOVE for men’s health,’ and all men, women and children are encouraged to be part of it.
Movember may originally have been known for being primarily hugely popular with University age lads who enjoy competing with their friends over who can grow the most impressive moustache, but the foundation goes way beyond that. In only the eleven years since its conception, it has changed the face of men’s health and made massive steps towards raising awareness and helping to fund projects to improve the lives of many. Whether it be prostate cancer, testicular cancer or mental health, the companies vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health, and with the obvious growth in popularity of the campaign, not only have they made an enormous difference and definitely achieved their objective, they have surpassed it. So this November, whether you choose to become a Mo Bro or a Mo Sista, or just come across someone raising money for the cause, think about your husband, your father, your son or your brother, consider how invaluable they are to you, and give what you can to a fantastic cause.
For more information, you can go to the official UK website uk.movember.com.