BY RACHEL ROY
November is known for Remembrance Day, but also for its month-long men’s health awareness event, Movember.
The month features men growing out their facial hair to bring awareness about men’s health, but is it actually working?
Movember began in 2003 with two men in Australia who wanted to grow out their moustaches.
No money was raised that year, but when Movember came to Canada in 2007, men and women all across the country raised $545,759.
The Movember Foundation, which Movember Canada is a part of, is the leading global organization that is trying to raise money for men’s health.
“Big Mo on Campus (BMOC) was the largest network globally in 2013 as 28,761 students participated across Canada,” said Tyler Small, community development co-ordina
tor at Movember Canada.
With the number of participants growing every year, students across Canada are helping raise awareness.
In 2013 alone Movember participants raised $33.9 million in Canada.
But students at Conestoga College seem to know very little about Movember, how it began and why it is happening. Most students think it to be a trend.
“I believe that Movember is a trend that is happening because I have seen many guys do it but I don’t think they know what for. It’s just a cool thing that they have going on,” said Joe Wong, a second-year social service worker student at Conestoga College.
Although many students believe Movember is just a trend, they still plan on participating this year.
“I feel like it’s a bit of both, it is a trend but you don’t know how many people are actually donating to the cause,” said Sloane Irvine, a first-year supply chain and operation student at Conestoga College.
In 2013, BMOC successfully raised over $2.8 million for the cause.
All proceeds go to support prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s mental health.
“For those who do know what’s going on, I think it’s great awareness that they’re actually doing something about it and not just growing a moustache but raising money and awareness,” said Alex Miciak, a second-year social service worker student at Conestoga.
Conestoga Students Inc. is encouraging students to enter their Movember photo contest.
Participants are asked to upload a photo of their clean-shaven face between Nov. 3 and 7 to Instagram or Twitter using #moustachesofconestoga, or email it to jvoll@conestogac.on.ca.
Then, on Nov. 21, participants must go to the CSI office and have a “hairy” photo taken. Afterwards, three prizes will be awarded to the winners.
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