No Shave November

By Sandy Rodriguez |Staff Writer|

Movember, “Noshember,” “No Shave November.”

If you have any form of social media, chances are, you have heard of it.

Perhaps you have seen a superabundance of men growing beards, maybe you have witnessed more women who decided to go au naturale.

Many people are unaware that Movember was originally meant to bring the mustache back but the movement grew to raise prostate cancer awareness.

Some do it for the cause, others for competition or to make a statement, and the rest do it for fun.

“Grow your hair out, express yourself, and just have fun with it,” and to the ladies, “go organic,” said No Shave November participant Andy.

The earliest report of Movember was found in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia.

Two guys met up for beers and realized the mustache was out of style; they found 30 guys that were willing to bring the mustache back, according to movember.com.

Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, the two original “Mo Bros,” were inspired by the mustaches’ ability to spark a conversation.

Garone decided to step it up a notch and created the Movember Foundation to help raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, according to movember.com. About $40,851 was raised between2003 to 2004.

The US officially launched the Movember partnership with Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2007 along with countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain, according to movember.com.

From 2003 to 2007, $27,149,041 were raised for the movement and 73 men’s health projects were funded, according to movember.com.

We are also informed of the “significant research breakthrough” in the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center which Movember helped fund. The study identified over 25 different kinds of prostate cancer.

At this time, $87,132,200 were raised since the year it began.

“Through Movember funding, the world’s first Prostate Cancer Genome Mapping Project is completed expanding the understanding of how prostate cancer works,” according to movember.com.

Since 2003, over $649 million have been raised, 832 men’s health projects have been funded, 21 countries participate, and there are over 5 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas, according to movember.com.

People participate in No Shave November for different reasons.

Different foundations, such as No Shave November, have started to raise cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research, education and prevention.

Some people go all out and decide to die their body hair different colors such as pink or blue.

I’ve had male friends who compete on who could grow the longest beard or girlfriends who compete on who could go the longest without shaving.

“About one man in seven will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime,” according to cancer.org.

We are also informed that one man in 38 with prostate cancer will die.

Forget about the stigma surrounding digital rectal exams. IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Let it grow. Spread awareness.

Donate.

Save a life.