Movember moustaches make mo’ awareness

By Shaamini Yogaretnam

EDMONTON — A charitable month of moustaches is at the end of its growth.

Movember, a play on combining the word “moustache” with the month of November, is a movement to raise awareness and donations for prostate cancer research through the novelty of growing groomed facial hair. The end of the month is here and men who have grown moustaches are eager to shave, but also count the funds they’ve raised, which might be less than they’re used to.

Seth Glick, 27, a Wolf Willow resident and west-end business owner of ClearSkies Window and Gutter Cleaning, is the man of the mo’ment. He’s grown a classic handlebar moustache with twisted curls on the end, reminiscent of ‘80s baseball pitcher Rollie Fingers, all in the name of helping the cause.

“I heard about Movember and I thought, ‘That’s kind of cool,’ ” said Glick. “Instead of running a race, you grow a moustache all month, that’s kind of funny.”

Mo-what?

In 2003, the idea for Movember was born in a pub in Australia. In 2007, two men brought the movement to Canada. It has since gained national popularity. Smooth faces mark the start of the month and the end is a delight to men who can shave their moneymaking moustaches.

The drawback, though, is that people who donate may be a bit Movember-ed out. Glick raised over $1,300 last year and as of Day 29 this year was only slightly under $800.  A quick survey of moustachioed men at West Edmonton Mall found that many men were growing moustaches for the month but not attempting to raise money. Those who are getting donations have to split them with a host of new participants.

In 2009, there were 255,722 global registrants for the campaign who collectively raised $44.3 million. Those numbers nearly doubled in 2010: 447,808 participants worldwide raised $72 million.

More registrants ought to mean more money, but it’s difficult to get donations from people who have already given to another participant.

Glick has had a few donors opt to support someone else in the campaign, and some that have just cut down their donation to be able to give to more than one Mo’ bro. Glick isn’t upset that his individual haul might be less than last year’s as long as people are continuing to give money.

“The donations still go to the same place.”

MoSistas and awareness

The growing popularity of the campaign has even brought women to the cause, even though prostate cancer is a men’s health issue. Jackie Whitson of the MoSistas of Edmonton — a group of women who support Movember and raise money through events — sees a difference in the way men and women approach their health and supports any initiative that gets men in the examination room. The funds are certainly a big part of it, but for Whitson education is the real goal.

“We, as women, go [to the doctor] every year like clockwork,” said Whitson. “So many men don’t go for their annual physical and it gets missed.”

The global Movember campaign lists education about and detection of prostate cancer as a goal before raising money for prostate cancer research.

Prostate cancer is up to 90 per cent curable, if detected early. On average, 11 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every day.

Whitson’s husband is a captain of the Edmonton Fire Department. He’s growing his ‘stache in support this year as well. Firefighters are between three- and six-times more likely to get cancers than the general public, and that hits a nerve with Whitson.

“It’s scary and it’s something that we really need to be aware of and proactive about detecting,” Whitson said.

Moustachioed Ingenuity

In an effort to stand out from the crowd and spread the message of detection, Glick has grown a fine moustache. He walks into a room and immediately gets everyone’s attention. He’s thrilled with the opportunity, even if he technically had to break the Movember rules to do it.

He started Movember 2010 clean-shaven on Nov. 1.

“I did Movember start to finish and I have a good facial hair growth,” Glick said. “I realized that there is no way in life that anyone can grow a twisty moustache in a month.” Glick made the decision then to extend the growth period for 2011.

He normally sports a beard, neatly trimmed. On Oct. 1, Glick shaved the beard and focused on the ‘stache. He justifies the rule-break with the amount of awareness he raises with the moustache he wouldn’t have been able to grow had he followed the rules.

“I raise so much more awareness because this moustache is the classic, the regal, the swashbuckler, it’s the moustache.”

Second looks and high-fives

Glick gets mixed reactions to his unusual facial hair. The most common are the double-takes from people who can’t believe what they’re seeing, whispers about his moustache from those who don’t want to admit they’re staring and high-fives from other Mo’ bros.

“It’s kind of like Fight Club the movie,” Glick said. “They see your moustache, you both kind of nod at each other. But it’s always smiles.”

He mentions his quest to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer to everyone who’s interested, and it’s rare that someone isn’t.

“It’s gentlemanly and it’s masculine.”

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in moustache culture among young men. Glick thinks that the moustaches of November, though similar in style to the hip, ironic moustaches sported by Edmonton’s young male population, offer a different purpose.

“It used to be less manly to get prostate exams,” Glick said. “With the moustaches, it’s gentlemanly and it’s masculine.”

Movember’s tagline, “Changing the face of men’s health,” invites men to return to the days of masculine facial hair in an effort to do away with the stigma associated with getting regular exams.

The moustache is nostalgic for older men who have long since given up their moustache combs and trimmers. Glick’s dad was convinced to join the Movember campaign after seeing how much fun his son was having.

“He used to have a moustache, as did most adult men back in the ‘70s, so he was happy he was able to start growing that moustache again,” Glick said.

Final Movember donation totals and numbers of participants will be available in early December.

Take a flip through a photo gallery of mo’s at the West Edmonton Mall on Day 19 of Movember.