Monday November 1 officially kicked off Movember 2010. You’re probably scratching your head and wondering what the heck Movember is and how growing a mustache can help raise awareness on men’s health.
The Below Guest Post is written by Yi – Creative freelancer and lover of photography, travel, sneakers & street art.
Movember was initially started in Melbourne, Australia by a group of six blokes sitting around, drinking beer and coming up with a novelty idea on to raise money and awareness on prostate cancer.
There’s no better way to gain attention and initiate discussion than a heavy, thick mustache. Little did the six Aussie guys know that their idea in 2003 would grow to a foundation that inspires thousands of participants across the globe and raise over $47 million in donations so far. Currently, Movember is the biggest foundation that targets men’s health and donations go to support The Prostate Cancer Foundation and also beyondblue (helping people with depression).
You see, prostate cancer isn’t talked about much in men’s health as it’s a sensitive topic, especially when it comes to getting it screened. Nevertheless, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and it’s early detection that can really save lives. Prostate cancer in the early stages displays no symptoms and it’s the routine check ups that can reveal if there’s anything wrong.
Participants of Movember (called Mo Bros) would need to start clean shaved on November 1 and avoid shaving the mustache area for the whole month. Hopefully by the end of November, he will end up with a snazzy mo that would make Ron Burgundy jealous.
Females can also jump on board Movember by becoming Mo Sistas. Mo Sistas don’t require to grow a mustache but can help by raising money, organizing teams and supporting their Mo Bros.
Although Movember is a well-known event in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada and the U.K, it’s still very much an unheard of event in Taiwan. There are nearly 80,000 participants in Australia alone. In Taiwan, there were only 7 people last time I checked.
I guess I’m passionate about this cause as I had a grandpa who passed away due to cancer in China. If the cancer had been detected earlier, the outcome might have been much more positive. It’s unfortunate that in some parts of Asia, cancer isn’t a topic being regularly discussed about and there’s still very much a barrier when it comes to accessing cancer prevention information.
This year, I’ve decided to become a Mo Sista in Taiwan to support Movember. Although I didn’t have much luck recruiting many male friends to join cause, I do hope to raise a few dosh from friends, colleagues and family.
You can support Movember by joining my team ForMoses Beard Blizzard or donating directly to the team. Thanks for your support! 
So, question for the guys, which mo will you be sporting for Movember?
Canadian expat Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. A prolific traveler, Carrie has funded her travels primarily as a writer, editor, travel blogger and photographer, but she has also worked as an educator, voice over artist, model and nightclub singer. She draws upon her 15+ years of travel experience to write about travel-related issues and the countries she has visited on her award-winning web site, My Several Worlds.
Her photography and travel articles have appeared in both print and online publications around the world, including Travel and Leisure Asia, Unearthing Asia and Hip Compass Escapes.
