A Primer on Movember

Moustaches for Men's Health

The Movember movement started in 1999 by a group of men in South Adelaide, Australia and has grown to be a world wide phenomena.  The goal of Movember is to raise money and awareness for men's health issues.  Many people believe it is only for prostate cancer but the movement also raises money for other issues such as depression and other men's cancers.




World Wide Attention

For those who don't know Movember is a word that combines moustache (Mo) and November and it encourages all men to grow moustaches in the month of November. In 2007 Movember launched in several other countries which included: Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States.  In 11 years the Movember Foundation has raised a staggering $677 million.  The Movember Foundation is also very open with it's financial statements which they say currently 83% of all money donated is given to men's charities.  - movember.com

Celebrity Endorsements

Over the years celebrities have stepped forward to be official ambassadors for Movember.  Some have moustaches all year round like NHL hockey player George Parros and documentary film maker Morgan Spurlock.

George Parros

Morgan Spurlock

Other celebrities include:  Snoop Dogg, Kevin Connolly, Brody Jenner, Matt Leinart, Mr. Clean, UFC fighter Frankie Edgar, and Philip Bloom.  World wide however there are celebrity ambassadors for many other countries that include actors and sports stars.  Having sports stars as ambassadors is important because the Movember Foundation also heavily encourages physical activity during the month.  The message is simple: get moving with some kind of physical activity every day for at least 30 minutes each time.  The goal is to improve men's overall health.

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The scissors cut the long-grown hair;
The razor scrapes the remnant fuzz.
Small-jawed, weak-chinned, big-eyed, I stare
At the forgotten boy I was.
~John Updike (1932–2009), "Upon Shaving Off One's Beard"
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For men that need inspiration here are some graphics you can read or download to reference them later.  The rules of Movember and a Moustache Style Guide.

Prostate Cancer

Raising awareness and money for prostate cancer is very important to the Movember Foundation because prostate cancer is the the most common cancer that affects men world wide.  Any man over 50 years old or has a close relative with prostate cancer should be tested regularly.  Factors that can contribute to an increased risk of developing prostate cancer are eating too much red meat and dairy products.  Also, eating too few vegetables.  Regular physical activity can also help prevent prostate cancer.  For men that don't think prostate cancer is very serious need to know that it can kill you if it's not treated.  It accounts for 24% of new cases of cancer in men and 10% of all cancer deaths in men.
- www.cancer.ca/


Final Words

Men that don't like sporting a moustache can also grow a beard for November which is called No Shave November.  The Movember Foundation has grown so much that it has incorporated other foundations under its banner including Touchback which raises money for testicular cancer.  For people interested in donating money you can go to The Movember Website and read all about the foundation.