Gentlemen, start your growing…

Many of us are aware that October is the official month for breast cancer awareness.  The campaign is designed to shed light on breast cancer prevention and finding a possible cure, and recent years it has become so popular that the colour pink immediately connotes the cause. In 2007, Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC) has begun a marketing campaign with similar objectives.  However, instead of using a particular colour to call attention to their cause, PCC is actively encouraging men to grow moustaches.

According to cancer.ca, an estimated 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,100 will die from it. Furthermore, one in 7 men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime (the risk is highest after age 60) and one in 28 will result in death. PCC is a national, not-for-profit, charitable organization which raises funds for the development of programs related to awareness, public education, advocacy, support of those affected, and research into the prevention, detection, treatment and cure of prostate cancer. The organization’s goal is to become the global leader in the fight against prostate cancer. Along with its greater Prostate Cancer Canada Network, which provides prostate cancer support resources for men and their families, PCC is working towards its vision of reaching out to a wider audience and providing enhanced support resources to ultimately eliminate Prostate Cancer. PCC and Movember have been partners since 2007.

What is Movember?

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is an annual moustache growing charity event held every November which raises funds and awareness for cancers that affect men.  At the beginning of every November, men register on the Movember website (http://ca.movember.com/register) with a clean shaven face. The participants, known as Mo Bros, have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Moustache all the while raising money to benefit men’s health.” Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words, they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.”

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their perseverance by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember for Movember. The campaign has shown great success so far and in 2010 nearly 119,000 Canadians got on board, raising $22.3 million. Together, we can make a difference.

Movember aims to fulfill its vision of having an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health by continuing to spark conversation and spread awareness of men’s health each year. The fun starts on November the 1st, so men start your growing for the cure!

For more information please visit: http://ca.movember.com