Movember Update Week Three: Its About Much More Than Mo's
by Brooke McMillan
I?ll be straight up: when I first heard about Movember, a grassroots fundraising effort started a few years ago by four Aussies sitting around drinking beer, my first thought was, ?Hah! That?s how most bad Texas news stories begin, quickly followed by the phrase, ?Betcha can?t do this?? I then learned how they had managed to coerce 34 friends down in Australia to Grow a Mo? (Mo being slang for a ?stache Down Under) and they raised around $50K for prostate cancer research. ?Good on ya, mate,? as they would say.
Since then, they have essentially exploded, raising around $24 million last year and are on target for ~$40 million this year.
OK, you now have my full attention.
Yes, growing a Mo and everything moustache related is both a bit silly and a lot of fun. The individual style, capability, and culmination at month?s end make for a very unique atmosphere for all the folks involved. But at the end of the campaign, is it really about that caterpillar below your nose? I would say no, it?s about much more.
Men?s health issues are rarely talked about, especially between men. Movember seeks to help break down those barriers through the simple addition of said fuzzy upper lip and the inevitable question, ?So just why are you growing a moustache?? What I would hope no one says in response is, ?Oh, it?s just Movember, a fun campaign to raise money for cancer,? – because you have a bigger opportunity.
Consider these numbers and points:
- 234,000 men will be diagnosed annually here in the USA with prostate cancer and 27,000 will die.
- Testicular cancer ? while rare ? is the #1 cancer among young men ages 18-35.
- There are certain self checks and medical tests that are appropriate based on things like age, risk, and family history that you should discuss with your doctor.
- Men have a long history of not getting regular medical check-ups and avoiding discussing or acting upon symptoms they are experiencing.
There, you now have four very easy points to form a more functional response to the, ?So what?s up with the ?stache?? May I suggest something like, ?It?s for Movember, this cool campaign to raise awareness and funds for men?s health issues during the month of November. It?s no secret that guys don?t regularly see their doc and there are checks for things like testicular and prostate cancer they should discuss. Movember is working to change that attitude, as well as funding research for cures.? Easy-easy.
Ladies ? or Mo? Sistas, in Mo? language ? also have an active role. They are certainly welcome into the campaign, with or without a faux Mo?, but their role in men?s health cannot be discounted. Women have a culture of regular medical care and are more prone to take action when warranted. Whether friend, spouse, or significant other, the ladies can motivate the men to be more proactive in their lives when it comes to their health and wellness.
And finally, young men are more likely to be aware of health issues and take action than previous generations, so they have an opportunity and an obligation to their fathers, uncles, and grandfathers to make sure they get the info and care they need. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news (Hey, dad ? it?s time for your annual colonoscopy ? woo-hoo!) but the alternative of a late-stage diagnosis is much worse, trust me on that one.
We?re all in this together, and Movember is a unique team effort to draw awareness to a big health concern that affects half of us personally and all of us collectively. So many thanks to our four Aussie beer drinkers, the-month-formerly-known-as-November truly wouldn?t be the same without you!
You can find out more about this campaign at www.movember.com. 50% of the funds raised in the USA will benefit LIVESTRONG and 50% will benefit the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation ? thanks! You can also donate directly to Team LIVESTRONG HERE
