November, the month where men grow out their mustaches to raise awareness of various cancers and diseases such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.
Jesse Hayman is the spokesperson for the movember foundation, and shares how it all started, ” Canada, it has been around since 2007, however it started in 2003 in Melbourne Australia. Just a couple of guys sitting around a table at a pub in Melbourne and talking about things that have gone out of style. The two things they settled on were mustaches and macrames. They decided one is better than the other in regards to having fun which what it really was about. It wasn’t a charity originally and till 2004, they were looking for a reason to keep it going and thought that the mustache could be for men’s health which the pink ribbon was for women’s health. It kinda unfolded there and in 2007, it hopped across the pond to Canada where it has been incredibly received”.
Hayman also explains why the mustache is a perfect symbol to raise awareness for men’s health, ” The mustache is a walking-talking billboard. Everyone else has their pins and ribbons, which is fantastic. We have a mustache and it is a 30 day commitment, you grow it on your face and it creates more conversations. The mustache isn’t like a beard, it still is something unusual and people ask questions that opens up to conversations about men’s health.”
The movember foundation is the only charity tackling men’s health on a global scale, year round. The foundation is independent of government funding, as they challenge the status quo and invest quicker in what works. In 13 years, The movember foundation has more than 1,200 men’s health projects around the world. To join the movember movement, you can visit their website and see all the opportunities they offer to raise awareness for men’s health.
