Men all over the world have stopped shaving due to the arrival of the annually celebrated month of No-Shave November to raise prostate cancer and men’s health awareness. During the whole month of November, men everywhere are encouraged to avoid shaving for the entire month, hence the name. This movement has now transformed into what is being called “Movember.” Movember allows those that aren’t capable of working the look of a beard to still participate by only growing a mustache.
Although many take part in No-Shave November and/or Movember, many don’t know exactly why. Believe it or not, men don’t sport their facial hair for the month of November simply because it’s the “in thing,” rather because just like during the month of October being about breast cancer, the growth of facial hair is just like putting on one of the Sheridan High School “Keep Calm and Fight On” t-shirts to raise breast cancer awareness. However in November, it’s all about men’s health and prostate cancer awareness.
By allowing facial hair to grow out, men are walking advertisements for prostate cancer awareness. Also, this is considered to be a symbol of support for men battling cancers that may have lost their hair due to treatments such as chemotherapy.
One group known around the world for their charitable fundraising and donations to men’s health and cancer research centers include those known as the “Mo’s.” This online group essentially created the now trending Movember, and had raised $147 million in the participating countries of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the United States in 2012 alone.
The Mo’s first formed back in 2003 when two men in Australia wanted to simply bring back the look of the Mo, which is Australian slang for moustache. They were inspired by their friend’s mother who had been collecting funds for breast cancer awareness, and they seized the opportunity to establish a new form of men’s health and prostate cancer awareness by fundraising by charging each participant of Movember a ten dollar fee.
In 2008, a charity by the Mo’s was officially established and has grown ever since. Anyone, male or female, can join the Mo Challenge on their website “us.movember.com” and raise as much money as they can during the month of November. After raising at least $100 in charitable funds, a participating member of the Mo’s will receive a complimentary ticket to one of the Gala Parties the Mo’s put on after each successful Movember in the major cities of Boston, Chicago, New York, Seattle, and many cities in California.
However anyone is welcome to participate in either No-Shave November or Movember, and can support men’s health and prostate cancer awareness by donating money securely online or through the mail to the Mo’s official website or any men’s health charitable organization, or by simply taking a break from shaving and letting the scruffle grow out all while supporting a growing cause and bringing awareness to the public.