It may have started out as a joke to bring back a much-maligned style of facial hair, but two decades on, the annual Movember campaign is a worldwide force for men’s health.
Movember, which encourages participants to grow moustaches throughout the month to raise funds and awareness for men’s health initiatives, has grown drastically since its early days, a local ambassador for the event says.
“It’s grown by leaps and bounds — what started off as kind of a joke to bring the moustache back between friends has grown to become the biggest men’s health initiative in Canada and the world,” Winnipegger Rodell Bautista told Global News.
“It’s all about raising awareness for men’s health issues, and helping to change the face of men’s health.”
While early editions of Movember focused solely on prostate cancer awareness, Bautista said the scope has expanded to cover a wide range of men’s health concerns, including suicide prevention and testicular cancer.
“It’s important because it’s all about raising awareness and getting men to talk about their health out loud,” said Bautista, whose own team of fundraisers has brought in more than $50,000 in total over the years.
“That’s the biggest reason I joined Movember — to just start the discussion and have guys talk about their well-being a little bit more.”
For those who can’t or don’t want to grow a ‘stache, there are other ways to provide support. Bautista said one option is participating in a ‘move challenge’ aimed at getting people active, and tracking their progress on the Movember app.
You can also “mo your own way” and raise funds however you’d like. Bautista said his team, Rodell’s Modells, is hoping to bring in a cool $10,000 through moustaches and other fundraisers this year, but there are countless ways Manitobans can get involved.
For more information, visit ca.movember.com.