November is upon us. The month brings many fun activities, such as pumpkin pie, leaves, and everyone beginning to decorate for Christmas way too early. Among other fun November endeavors, some students at Knoch are participating in Movember, where the goal is to grow a moustache for the month. But what exactly is Movember, and what is its purpose?

According to the Movember website, friends Travis Garone and Luke Slattery from Melbourne, Australia, met at a bar for a drink in 2003. They began to talk about old fashion trends, one of which was the moustache. The two thought about how to bring the ‘stache back for a good cause, and were, “inspired by a friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer”. They agreed to pay 10 Australian Dollars (AUD) to grow a mustache, a rule that is still around to this day. The first ever Movember had a total of 30 participants.

The “Mo Bros” had such a good experience that they decided to take it to the next level, broadening the event from a small group of friends to an official company complete with a website. Years later, Movember was raising millions of AUD in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Spain, the US, Canada, and more. Movember has raised more than 730 million AUD for over 1,000 men’s health programs since 2003. Their focus has been broadened to four main men’s health issues: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health, and physical inactivity. 

No-Shave November, although similar, is not related to Movember. According to the No-Shave November website, their story began in 2009 when the eight children of the Chicago based Hill family were looking for a way to honor their late father, Matthew Hill, who passed from colon cancer in November 2007. 

Participants of No-Shave November forego, you guessed it, shaving for the whole month of November. They donate the money they would spend on razors and salons to their organization which has raised more than $10 million to date. 

18 years later, Movember and No-Shave November have made their way to Knoch High School. Not many students are willing to dedicate a whole month to growing out some facial hair, but let’s face it, growing facial hair is not a strong suit of high school kids. 

One enthusiastic participant is senior Nick Fox, who claims he has been working on his mustache for about a year. Nick had a beard before, but once November came around, most of the beard left. Much like the Movember organization, Nick’s goal is to raise awareness  for a serious range of men’s health issues that need to be known about.

“I feel as though more people need to be informed about the Movember charity and the health issues in general”, said Nick. 

Although his family is not a fan of his mustache, Nick still wears it proudly for a good cause. 

Another student involved in Movember is senior Cory Voltz. He has been working on his mustache for about a month. Cory aims to raise awareness for the health issues Movember focuses on. 

I am also growing a mustache this month of November. My reason is to bring these health concerns to light, especially mental health. Men account for 79% of all suicides in the US. Personally I have never struggled with poor mental health to the extreme of many people I know, but I want to make sure my bros out there have their voices heard. Men specifically have been silent about many health issues that affect us for too long, and it’s time to change. 

For anyone inspired to grow a ‘stache or donate some cash, it’s never too late to join the cause. To learn more or donate, go to the Movember website, and you can “have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health”.