Grow A Mo and Help Change the Face of Men’s Health

Adam Garone, CEO & co-founder of Movember

Photo: Photo courtesy of Movember.

It’s a simple equation with a powerful result: Moustaches + November = Movember, which begins today, Nov. 1. Starting in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, a small group of men met over a few beers looking for a way to do something fun that would also give back to society. One of them asked, “What about bringing back the moustache?” and with it being called a “Mo” in Aussie slang, Movember was soon born.

It is an understatement to say the movement has had a meteoric rise. Starting primarily as a social event in 2003, Movember saw its numbers rise to 432 participants in 2004 raising $55,000 for the Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation, becoming its top fundraiser in the process. In 2009, global participation climbed to 255,755 from 10 countries with more than one million donors raising $42 million for Movember’s global partners.

“It’s hard to believe what began as a bit of a joke has turned into a global movement for men’s health. It’s humbling to see so many men and women passionately support this cause,” said Adam Garone, CEO and co-founder of Movember. “These days you can’t grow a moustache without people asking what’s going on, and that leads to amazing conversations about cancers that affect men.”

This irreverent campaign – dedicated to changing the face of men’s health – now has a threefold purpose: education and awareness, cancer survivorship through LIVESTRONG and prostate cancer research.


• All “Mo Bros and Sistas” are highly encouraged to learn about the main issues around men’s health, then through the natural curiosity as to why a man is growing a moustache in November, talk about things like age appropriate cancer screening.
• Cancer survivorship, which deals with the practical issues within the cancer community, is the mainstay of LIVESTRONG. Movember funds programs like Fertile Hope, which provides fertility preservation assistance and information, and My Planet, an online community that allows young adults to communicate with others whose lives have been affected by cancer.
• The Prostate Cancer Foundation funds research targeted at better treatments and finding a cure for prostate cancer. The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center recently made a significant breakthrough via this support, identifying 24 different kinds of prostate cancer and how aggressive each one is, ultimately leading to more effective treatment.


To become a Mo Bro, Mo Sista or learn more about Movember, visit www.Movember.com.
resource: National cancer | Examiner.com