SHARED by: Leigh Goldman, Gymtime Mom

The moustache is trying to unseat the peace sign as the symbol de rigueur for kids, tweens and teens (and even adults!). Walk into almost any trendy kids boutique in the neighborhood and you’ll see moustache apparel and accessories. But the moustache also takes on a far more important role in November, or “Movember.”

Movember is the month when thousands of men in the U.S. and around the world grow mustaches in an effort to raise awareness and funds for critical men’s health initiatives related to prostate and testicular cancers. In effect, the moustache becomes the ultimate conversation starter – one that helps save lives.
The idea is that men participating in Movember start the month cleanly shaven and then become “walking, talking billboards” on these issues as their mustaches grow.

Moustache Nostalgia
Movember, a global men’s health charity, was launched in 2003 by two men in Australia who simply wanted to bring back an old-fashion trend: the moustache. They quickly realized that aside from having a lot of fun, their moustache revival movement trend got a lot of people talking. They decided to attach a charitable element to Movember and the following year raised $43,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

The mission of Movember is to change attitudes men have about their health; to educate them about the risks they face; and make them aware of the importance of early detection, diagnosis and treatment. This year, more than 242,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 28,000 men will die from the disease.  And testicular cancer is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34.

Movember on the Move
Last year, more than 855,000 people around the world participated in Movember, raising $126 million. Movember partners with the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation to ensure that funds raised are supporting “innovative, worldwide programs” in three core areas: awareness/education, survivorship and research.

Minus the Mustache: Women’s Roles in Movember
Women – affectionately referred to as “Mo Sistas” to their “Mo ros” counterparts – contribute to Movember by organizing events and fundraising.  They also play a key role in getting men to talk about these critical health issues and in spreading vital health messages.

To find out about events in our area or to register to participate in Movember, visit Movember.com.

Moustachery: News You Can Use (at least for this month)

  • The king of hearts is the only king in a deck of cards not to have a moustache.
  • The earliest evidence of a moustache is an artifact from 300 B.C. which depicts a horseman with a thick black moustache.
  • Surrealist artist Salvador Dali once published a book dedicated entirely to his moustache.
  • U.S. Marines cannot grow a moustache longer than half an inch.

Leigh Goldman was the former New York editor of UrbanBaby.com and spent years working as a television producer covering parenting topics.  She is the co-author of the book “The Journey to Parenthood: Myths, Reality and What Really Matters.”  Leigh currently runs the corporate website for a Fortune 500 beauty company and lives with her two children in New York City.

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