It’s that time of year again! Since we are into the second(ish) week of November I wanted to highlight the trend among many men on campus. Novemeber for me has always been such a joyous time of year, the snow is falling, everyone is snuggling up with cute outfits and guys are growing facial hair! (Woohhooo!) In case you’ve been living under a rock since 2003 November has been dubbed “No shave November” or Movember. Men of all ages create profiles called “Mo Space” where they share their personal stories and raise funds for one of the three amazing causes backed by Movember. The most known cause is for prostate cancer. Second is testicular cancer and the newest but certainly not the least is for young men’s mental health and suicide prevention. These men, will shave all their facial hair and proceed to grow a good looking ‘stache for the rest of the month. Or men with beards already are encouraged to shave so only their ‘stache is dominate.
I believe this is an amazing cause, and not just because I think pretty much anyone looks good with facial hair, but because I am so amazed at these men who chose to support these causes so visibly. Many of these men choose to be active in Movember because of their personal story, and I think that it is so inspiring. Men come together to raise money for those they have lost to cancer or suicide, and this movement helps to destroy the stigma. What has become a larger movement among the men that I know who are currently supporting Movember is the mental health initiative. It seems that many young men simply aren’t talking about their struggles. But 1 in 10 men will experience major depression in their lifetime! That’s insane. There is also the notion that one young man will commit suicide every single day. And if that didn’t already make you feel miserable, 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.
I am so passionate about raising awareness for this amazing initiative, and I am so proud of the men for taking a stance and shaving their facial hair – way to go! As well, Movember currently has many community events like the “gentlemen’s ride” where men come together on their motorcycles to raise funds.
Women can take part in Movember too through their “MOVE” program where you simply set a goal, raise some money and get active to show support for your fathers, brothers, partners, sons and friends from dying too young.
So, if you haven’t already, make your profile and get fundraising. Or support your friends by donating and telling how much you appreciate them. It’s easy, and they look good.