Movember has begun its fifth annual campaign to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
Men across the country began sporting their own mo's ( slang for mustaches ) on the first of the month. The men who grow their mustaches, known as "Mo Bros," do so as living awareness ribbons, worn on their faces helping to invoke public discussion on the often-ignored issues of men's health. Last year, more than 64,000 Mo Bros and their female supporters, names "Mo Sistas," raised in excess of $7.5 million for men's health, prostate and testicular cancer research.
The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and Movember's men's health partners; the Prostate Cancer Foundation; and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Movember campaign includes strategic goals for all funds raised that include survivorship; awareness and education; prostate cancer research; and influencing change in men's health. The mission of Movember was to get men to grow mustaches by creating an innovative, fun and engaging annual campaign that raises funds and awareness globally.
Each Mo Bro grows his mustache, not only for the opportunity to raise funds but also for deeply personal reasons. "My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer five years ago," said Paul Mazzola, a first-year participant. "I had never done much fundraising for this issue before. It's funny and self-deprecating at the same time. It's a challenge and you have to stick with it," added Mazzola.
Gil Melott, a gay man and a publisher of www.JACKArcher.com, said that the idea of Movember "gets guys engaged. This is an incredibly unique mode of philanthropy that fascinated me. My father battled prostate cancer. Growing the mustache allows us to talk about often non-discussed men's health issues in a more casual way." Marc Moder, another gay first-time participant and a DJ with MooseBox, said his driving forces were his stepfather, who died from prostate cancer, and his ex-husband, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer. "As gay men, we talk about breast cancer and HIV but we don't talk about other men's health issues," said Moder.
The Mayo Clinic website notes that prostate cancer "more frequently strikes older men, over 65 and those with a history of prostate cancer." However, if younger men believe that the threat of cancer will not concern them until then, they would be mistaken. The Mayo Clinic also reported "testicular cancer strikes young men, between the ages of 15 and 34." If caught early, the cancer is highly treatable. Still, the threat of cancer even in men as young as 15 makes the issue of men's health and male-oriented cancers even more universal.
On Nov. 10, the Downtown Bar hosted "Clock Out and Rock Out Movember!" The benefit was thrown for Moder, MooseBox and JACKArcher.com's Movember teams. The evening included an all-mustache rock soundtrack replete with mustache movies, like The Anchorman. Many men already had noticeable mustaches. "I'm going for the giant lumberjack mustache. It's really as aspiration versus the reality. For a guy who can't grow a beard, this will be a challenge," said Melott.
Mazzola, who did not attend, included on his Mo Bro page voting for the end-style of mustache he would grow. "I'm thinking a bushy Freddie Mercury is where I am headed." Moder was more undecided: "I look at this way,I'm planting the shrub and we'll see what grows. I have aspirations for that 'Village People' leatherman look. Frankly, I'm just happy to have something on my face."
The official 2011 Movember campaign is The Country Gentleman. Last year was all about The Modern Gentleman.
More than 30 Mo Bros attended the event, which featured raffles for prizes such as whiskey and an autographed copy of Billy Crystal's book. There were also prizes such as an autographed copy of Martha Stewart's Jazz for the Holidays CD and an autographed copy of RuPaul's Foxy Lady CD.
Melott said, "This is not the only event our group will be hosting. We are also planning on an event at the end of November at the Isle of Man shop in Logan Square [ at 3856 N. Lincoln Ave. ] . It's a chance to see the end result of a month of mustache growth and to continue to raise funds for this important cause."
For more information on Movember, please check out the group's website at www.us.movember.com . If you're interested in following Paul Mazzola's ( mobro.co/pmazzola ) , Gil Melott's ( mobro.co/JACKarcher ) or Marc Moder's ( us.movember.com/mospace/1404488/ ) mustache's, you can do so at each of their own Mo Bro pages.