Movember Movement

Movember & where it started!

Movember is coming, the month of the Mo, where men around the world grow a Mo in the name of Men's Health.
The Movember movement originated in our own town, Melbourne (Australia) in 2003 with with two mates joking about bringing back the Mo.
Taken from the Movember website:
"The two friends decided to talk their mates into growing a Mo. Inspired by a friend’s mother who was fund raising for breast cancer, they decided to make the campaign about men’s health and prostate cancer. They designed rules and guidelines for Movember (which are still in place today) and agreed to charge ten dollars to grow a Mo. Trav designed the first Movember logo, and they sent around an email titled Are you man enough to be my man? They found 30 guys willing to take up the challenge."
Now Movember is focusing on raising funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer & mental health issues, along with simply raising awareness for Men Health.

My Mo History

I started as a guy just 'growing a mo' in 2010, starting in the middle on November, not knowing what Movember was or why people were growing Mo's besides simply wanting to grow Mo's.
The following year I was searching the internet and found out about the Campaign- raising awareness of Men's Health while also raising some money for Prostate Cancer & Mental Health Issues.
At the time I was working at a bottle shop and a few of my colleagues had done Movember in the past, but this year we decided to make a group and get a few other work mates involved, while putting out donation boxes for customers to donate if they wished. Together we raised a couple of hundred dollars, which is just great. Grow a Mo, have some fun, raise a few bucks for a good cause!
The following year I got my family involved (2012), including my sister, mother and especially my father who had not shaved his beard, since he left school (about 40 years!). He took some convincing, but decided to do it for the good cause that is Men's Health (see YouTube video of him shaving it off below) and guess what, now he has a Mo & goatee (not a full beard!). My sister wore all sorts of Movember tops to spread the word of Movember, while raising money for it. My mother was a traditional Mo Sista, who registered, raised awareness and some funds for Movember through word of mouth and supporting my dad.

My Mo-Tivation

I must admit I grow a terrible Mostache. I even got nominated for Lame Mo for the Melbourne Mo Gala in 2012. No, I didn't win, you could see my Mo a tiny bit! I don't feel the Mo is the point, but what it represents. Movember is about raising awareness of Men's Health, because we men are horrible about talking about feelings and health, but this Movement and Campaign reminds us it's not just ok, but very important to talk about our Health. The Movember youtube video (below) captures my Mo-tivation perfectly!

My Lame Mo Nomination in 2012

What Next?!

Last year (2012) I unfortunately gave Movember a miss, due to finishing off my Degree and starting my business, but this year in conjunction with the Ashburton festival it will be bigger than ever for me! The Ashburton festival will have a Health & Movember side to it this year with various health activities and health businesses and groups getting involved. More details to come, but keep the date free- Sunday 23rd Movember 12-7pm.

So what can you do?

Want to get involved? Here's a few things you cam do to start with

1. Register online at https://www.movember.com/au/register
2. Join our Mo Group AshyMos or make your own group
3. Start collecting donations (this can start before Movember does!)
4. Come down to the Ashburton Festival with your Mo on Sunday 23rd Movember 12-7pm
5. Follow the Mo Rules (taken straight from the Movember website)
   
   1. Once register each Mo Bro MUST begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face.
   2. For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro MUST grow and groom a moustache.
   3. Don't Fake it- No beard, no goatees, no fake moustaches!
   4. Use the power of the moustache to create conversations about men's health & raising funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer & mental health.
   5. Each Mo Bro MUST conduct himself like a true gentleman...
6. Grow your Mo!!
   

So only males can get involved?

Absolutely not!
Females can register as Mo Sistas and get involved, but the level of involvement for Mo Sistas is really up to up. If you have a male partner you can motivate them to get involved and support them. So you could draw a fake Mo on yourself, make or buy and wear a Mo themed tee shirt and help raise awareness and funds that way!
If you have any other great ideas how a Mo Sista can get involved, let us know!

May the Mo be with you!
Stay Tuned!

Fred Saleeba - Clinical Myotherapist