MANITOULIN—For over 20 years, the Movember movement has been a hair-raising experience for men’s upper lips as participants grow (or at least attempt to grow) mustaches in a fun campaign to raise funds aimed at tackling three main streams of male health: mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
From its humble 2003 beginnings when Australian buddies Travis Garone and Luke Slatterly came up with the concept while enjoying a quiet beer at the Gypsy Bar in the Fitzroy suburb of Melbourne, the mustache had all but completely disappeared from male fashion trends and the duo wondered if they could revive furry upper lips. A ‘Mo’ plan in the making.
The original concept for raising funds to tackle male health issues was based on another friend’s mom’s efforts to raise money for breast cancer.
The intrepid duo were so smitten by their bar-hatched plan, they immediately sent out an email blast seeking 30 friends who would be willing to step up and be “Man enough to be my man” by contributing $10 to the cause. The response was not only successful but met with such enthusiasm that the pair decided the following year to expand and formalize. A company was registered and the concept soon went viral.
After doing a bit of research, the now expanded team settled on men’s prostate cancer as the prime medical target for the campaign. They approached the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) which agreed to accept the funds. In 2004 there were 450 participants in that initial “official” campaign—up from the 2003 30-member crew. Together, they raised $54,000AUD, that’s around $76,000 Canadian.
From there, the campaign has never looked back, expanding internationally in 2007 to 34,171 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK and Spain raising $21.5 million AUD and, on the way, generating massive awareness of men’s health issues—expanding the target to include mental health and suicide prevention and testicular cancer.
Here on Manitoulin Island, local businesses and organizations have gotten into the Movember movement with varying levels of campaign goals. Manitoulin Chrysler owner Wayne Legge and his team are once again eschewing the shaving cream and offering up a portion of each car sale made.
For Mr. Legge, the campaign is deeply personal, as his own father was afflicted with prostate cancer.
Out in the Gordon/Barrie Island municipal office, Peter Higgins confirmed The Gordon Barries would be at it again this year.
“Yes, we are doing it again this year,” confirmed Mr. Higgins. “We have set our target at $100. Last year we raised $60. All the guys here (four of us) have a mustache, although three of the dudes have beards. I shaved my goatee down to a rather crisp ‘stache so now I look like my Grampa Higgins! We are raising money under the name THE GORDON BARRIES. All donations are welcome.”
Today, there are official campaigns underway in 21 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA, and together Movember campaigns have raised more than $730 million AUD—that’s a whopping $664,008,000 Canadian to fund over 1,000 men’s health programs.
Together, Manitoulin Island is doing its part.
