According to junior community health education major Brandon Osborn, he participated in his first Movember last year after hearing about it through friends and social media.
“Essentially, men become walking talking billboards for the month of November.”
“I think that is why [Movember] is so appealing: the physical aspect. It’s like wearing an ‘I support Cancer research’ button for 30 days, except on your face,” added Osborn.
The popular No shave November has grown to be well known as a charitable event. Many call it Movember. Movember is a foundation that raises awareness and funds, as well as survivorship in November for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer.
The event encourages men to not shave for 30 days, resulting in a mustache or something hairier. The fundraiser donates to The Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong Foundation, which both provide research and care for men with prostate cancer.
Movember started in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 with only 30 men participating. The event is growing every year in the with all age groups. The Movember website is almost at its millionth registered member this season.
The registered participants are called Mo Bros and Mo Sistas because each play a vital role in collecting funds for their registered team on the Movember and Sons campaign website.
The popular character Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) from the television series “Parks and Recreation” also participates in this campaign as a representing face to the community, while also being a Mo Bro. His mantra is “Bringing back the Mustache.”
Tom Whiteside, the grassroots engagement director of Movember has been with the foundation for four months after working at the Livestrong Foundation since 2009.
“I grew to love Movember,” said Whiteside.
According to Whiteside, the best part he said is that he is having fun and doing good because the event is like a marathon that reaches out to friends and family and rallies the men.
“It doesn’t feel like charity and is a reverent way to raise money and awareness about something that doesn’t come up a lot.”
Movember did a good deed indeed. It raised $126.3 million worldwide in 2011, a $43.3 million increase from the year before.
According to Whiteside, the size of the mustache isn’t what makes the biggest difference.
“The wispiest of mustaches can raise the most money,” said Whiteside.
For more information, visit http://us.movember.com/.