by Andy McInnes, Staff Writer/Social Media Specialist, All Habs Hockey Magazine
Every year men and women around the world get involved in this global fundraiser which is Movember. But what is it all about?
Movember had very humble beginnings. Way back in 2003, two mates met over a beer in a Melbourne pub. They got to chatting about the very rarely seen moustache, last commonly popular several decades before. Inspired by a friends mum who was raising money for breast cancer, the two men decided charge $10 for men to grow a moustache. After firing out an email they got 30 participants for the very first Movember.
In 2004, the campaign went Interstate with Queensland coming onboard. Movember was taken up a notch, firstly being registered as a company, and a website was set up. After a bit of research the founders decided to support prostate cancer as their cause. That year saw 450 Mo Bros raise $54,000 AUD.
As the foundation continued to evolve, further research found that depression was a significant issue. Thus beyond blue: the national depression and anxiety initiative became Movember’s second men’s health partner.
The campaign spread to other countries. 2006 saw the campaigns launch in New Zealand, and the following year in Canada, the US, the U.K. and Spain.
Nowadays there are 21 official campaigns across the globe, whilst the men’s health issues being tackled are prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.
As well as growing moustaches, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas can now challenge themselves to undertake physical challenges over the month of Movember all in the name of raising awareness of these men’s health issues that affect us all.
Since 2003, Movember has funded 1,200 men’s health projects globally.
For the past three years we, at All Habs Hockey Magazine, have been doing our part to help support Movember’s work and to raise awareness of these men’s health issues. We are walking, running, working out, doing yoga and growing moustaches to encourage people, just like you, to donate whatever they can to this incredible cause.
Check out our fundraising link here.
We all may be affected by one of these health issues one day, either directly or indirectly. Let’s encourage our mates, fathers, brothers, partners, husbands and sons to seek and ask for help. We may just save a life.
