Movember is mustache month.

Although facial hair is fun, Movember is more than just a month for men to let their grizzled beards grow wild. Similar to breast cancer awareness month in October, Movember is a way to gain awareness of men’s health issues. With men’s issues often brushed under the rug, this foundation helps raise awareness and money for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues.

On average, men die six years earlier than women.

According to The Movember Foundation, this movement “stands for constructive change. We challenge the status quo, with the result of driving significant outcomes from the conversations we generate and funds we raise.”

Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years. Testicular cancer rates have doubled in the last 50. Three quarters of suicides are men. Poor mental health leads to half a million men taking their own life every year. Instead of brushing these important issues under the rug, the Movember foundation attempts to publicize and prioritize these problems to help save the lives of men across the world.

The Movember Foundation has raised $36,200,000 in the USA since 2010.

To raise money at Williston, Mr. Rivenburgh, the co-facilitator of the program along with Mr. Cunha, said the boys hockey team has been the main driver of the fundraiser, but all “Mo-bros” and “Mo-sistas” can all help raise awareness and funds for the cause.

Mr. Rivenburgh was influenced to participate in Movember because of his grandfather who has dealt with many cancer battles as he has gotten older.

“It is a subject that seems taboo, but that I feel I want to speak about,” he said. “I started in Movember about 9 years ago when I was abroad in Australia and when I heard about it the first person I thought of was my grandfather. So, I started to grow. It has provided me an avenue and a community with which to share his story and to allow others to share theirs with me.”

For someone looking to get involved in a making a difference, Mr. Rivenburgh would encourage anybody to join the movement because men’s issues are very important. Although only four people have officially made a Movember account, anyone who grows a mustache or beard for awareness is doing their part.

“Men face health issues that are not always talked about due to the male stereotypes of toughness and not showing emotions,” Mr. Rivenburgh said.

Bryan Soder ’18, is doing his part to raise awareness for Movember. Although he hasn’t officially made his fundraising account yet, he was already stunting a thick ‘stache in early November.

Bryan participates to “raise awareness for men’s health” and would encourage others to join in because “the more people we can get the better.”

In the professional sports realm, the NHL has a league-wide Movember event in which all teams participate. The Boston Bruins have 13 members participating according to CBC Sports, where they have a friendly competition over who can grow the best mustache.

“Some guys are calling me sheriff,” Adam McQuaid of the Boston Bruins told CBC Sports. “It’s fun to kind of joke around about it, [but] we know about the seriousness of what stands for, but it’s still fun at the same time.”