Mo-vin on up
The buzz around your lip fuzz
By Bigoa Machar
Alrighty boys, listen up! Put down that razor and embrace your inner porn star (hair wise, and no, not that hair either), as Nov. 1 is the kick off day for this year’s annual Movember campaign!
If you don’t already know, the Movember Foundation is a global initiative focused on raising funds and bringing awareness to men dealing with prostate and testicular cancer, as well as those dealing with poor mental or physical health.
Brining it close to home, an estimated 1,050 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015, according to the Movember Foundation website. With new technologies and research becoming more advanced, the five-year relative survival rate is 97 per cent for men with testicular cancer in Canada.
Based out of Australia, the Movember Foundation raised over $100 million worldwide, including about $24.7 million raised in Canada.
Funds raised in Canada go to Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC) and other Movember Foundation programs. According to the PCC website, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Dr. Stuart Edmonds, Chief Scientific Officer at PCC, says that PCC is dedicated to furthering their research for a safer future.
Since 2003, the Movember Foundation has funded over 1,000 men’s health programs that focus on four priority issues: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity. Last Movember was the most significant campaign to date and led to breakthroughs in prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
“Prostate Cancer Canada is committed to fostering the next generation of research scientists. By offering salary support to these new investigators, we are supporting talent at a critical time in their careers, ensuring that a certain proportion of their time is devoted to research,” says Dr. Edmonds.
“By offering opportunities in prostate cancer research, and in Canada, we’re investing in the future of prostate cancer research and enabling continued successes in prostate cancer research.”
This year, the Movember Foundation is launching a new initiative called MOVE, a 30 day fitness challenge during the month of November to raise additional awareness around men’s health. Once signed up on Movember.com, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas get their own personal funding page, free for anyone who donates to the cause.
“We’re excited to have Movember.com open and ready for all to sign up. This year we’re
introducing MOVE as a new way for everyone to participate, men can grow and get their Mo’s moving, and women can see their support in action,” said Claire Lamont, Country Director, Movember Canada.
“2014 was an incredible year and thanks to the continued support from Canadians, and around the world, we’re proud to share that we funded our1000th men’s health project globally, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Mental health is another recent initiative that the good folks at the Movember Foundation have taken on in recent years. In 2014, the Movember Foundation started its Men’s Health & Wellbeing Innovation Challenge, where Canadians were encouraged to submit their ideas to debunk some of the urban legends around men’s health and mental health. The Movember forked over more than $2 million for the project.
“An idea, no matter how small, can help change the face of men’s health and that’s exactly what the Innovation Challenge is focused on,” said Pete Bombaci, Country Director, Movember Canada.
“It’s because of the commitment of our Mo Bros and Mo Sistas that sign up every Movember to help us raise funds and awareness for men’s health that we are able to invest in these projects.”
As an avid participant of Movember ever since I could grow a non-embarrassing moustache (it isn’t Tom Selleck or Ron Jeremy, but it’s something. Like a solid 6/10), Movember is just one of those things that’s super fun to do for a great cause. Taking silly pictures with your bros, having strangers coming up to you and complimenting the stache, it’s all worth it for a great cause. Even if you’re on that Ramen Noodles for dinner struggle every night and don’t necessarily have the funds to give, just bringing awareness to the seriousness of men’s health is a huge step in the right direction.
For more information, visit Movember.ca to keep up with the latest news and to donate. The rate of men diagnosed with testicular cancer has doubled in the last 50 years. Know the risks and check yourself!