LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – (September 23, 2013) – Official Moustache season is here! The Movember Foundation enters its 11th year as the leading global organization to change the face of men’s health. Starting today, men and women are encouraged to become an official participant by signing up at Movember.com and committing to grow and support the moustache – and only the moustache – during Movember, the month formerly known as November.
Movember challenges men to start clean-shaven on November 1 and grow just a moustache for 30 days, getting friends, family and colleagues to donate to their moustache-growing efforts. The growth of a moustache sparks conversations and raises vital funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems. To date, the Movember community has raised over $550 million and funded over 800 programs in 21 countries.
“Now, more than ever, is a critical time to raise funds and awareness for men’s health,” said Mark Hedstrom, U.S. Country Director at Movember. “Over the last 11 years, the moustache has become the symbol for men’s health, with over 4 million men and women participating in the Movember movement. Together, we are making a change and reducing stigmas so that men can take action for their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Movember 2013 was the largest, most significant campaign the US has ever seen. Over 219,000 men and women signed up on Movember.com and raised nearly $23 million for men’s health. Globally, the Movember Foundation is focused on men’s health, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.
Details about the more than 800 programs that Movember has funded can be found on the funded programs page on Movember.com.
- Prostate Cancer: 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In the US, the Movember Foundation funds world-class research and survivorship programs through our Global Action Plan (GAP), the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Through these programs, we are funding first in field, research teams focused on accelerating progress towards the reduction of death and suffering due to recurrent or advanced prostate cancer and programs to support men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer as well as their families and caregivers.
- Testicular Cancer: Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men aged 15-35 years. For men diagnosed with testicular cancer, we seek to improve their physical and mental health, and reduce mortality. In the US, the Movember Foundation funds have supported our Global Action Plan (GAP) and the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s Cancer Navigation Services.
- Mental Health: Men are 4 times more likely to die of suicide than women. Since 2006, the Movember Foundation has funded mental health programs in Australia and New Zealand, and since 2013 in Canada. Movember is currently working with industry experts to lay the foundation for the mental health initiative that Movember will be funding in the U.S. Movember is focused on the these key areas in mental health:
- Prevention – men and boys are mentally healthy and take action to remain so.
- Early intervention – when men and boys experience mental health problems they take action early.
- Stigma reduction – men and boys with mental health problems are not discriminated against.
The new “Made in Movember” campaign theme encourages the community to focus on thinking globally and acting locally. Once signed up at Movember.com, participants become part of the global movement and utilize their personalized fundraising page to get friends, family, and colleagues to donate to their efforts.
For more information, please visit Movember.com. Connect with Movember on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, flickr, and Pinterest.
Sign up and join the largest men’s health movement at Movember.com.
About the Movember Foundation
The Movember Foundation’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. We do this by getting men to grow moustaches during Movember (the month formerly known as November) to spark conversation and raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. Together with the Movember community we have raised over $550 million, and have funded over 800 world-class programs in 21 countries. We’re committed to changing the face of men’s health and won’t stop growing as long as serious men’s health issues remain.
Movember is fully accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and for the past two years, has been named a Top 100 best NGO by The Global Journal. For more information please visit Movember.com. Movember is a registered 501(c)(3) charity.
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