Tomorrow is not only the start of the last month of spring, it’s also the first day of Movember, an annual month-long moustache challenge for a good cause.
What began as a fundraiser for cats, has grown into one of the largest men’s health fundraisers in the world.
Movember started out as a fun idea in an Adelaide pub to ‘grow whiskers for whiskers’ a fundraiser for the RSPCA. The original Movember group started with 80 men from Adelaide and soon became a nationwide phenomenon.
In 2004, an unrelated group in Melbourne, organised an event where 30 men would grow a moustache for 30 days in order to raise awareness for prostate cancer and depression in men.This group would later become the Movember Foundation charity.
Growing mos has raised $174-million
The Movember Foundation has since raised $174-million worldwide, after spreading to South Africa and Europe, reaching North America in 2006.
In 2010, participants in the United States alone raised over $7.5 million and in 2012, 1.1 million people signed up to participate, raising upwards of $95 million.
The goal of Movember is to ‘change the face of men’s health’. The foundation says that by encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as ‘Mo Bros’) to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
As well as supporting the issues of prostate and testicular cancer, the foundation also supports mental health and suicide prevention.
PLB Mo Bros on board for a grow
In 2019 a Tweed hospitality group Perfect Last Bite (PLB), are tackling men’s health awareness with a Movember fundraising campaign that involves the local community.
The PLB Group owns and runs venues such as Osteria in Casuarina, Taverna in Kingscliff, Bombay Cricketer’s Club at Salt Village, Baked at Ancora on the Tweed River and their newest addition Pastry, Bread, Espresso in the Tweed Mall shopping centre.
This year employees of the PLB Group will be coming together and growing their mo’s to raise awareness in changing the face of men’s health. The PLB Group will also be donating 10% of sales from their famous apple and pork sausage rolls to the Movember foundation, sold at Osteria, Baked at Ancora and Pastry, Bread, Espresso.
PLB Group General Manager Mark Wilson says the group’s goal is to raise $5,000 for the Movember Foundation. ‘This will be achieved through a percentage of sausage roll sales, our local community and loyal customers making donations in support of our employees growing their mo’s for the cause.
‘The PLB Group is very excited to be involved in supporting such a great foundation and raising awareness on all aspects of men’s health.
Donations can be made via this link in support of PLB Group Mo Bro’s.
There are November events all through November, right across the country. For more information about Movember, visit the Movember Foundation website.
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