Movember 2012

Written by Rayner Smith – October 15, 2012

Movember, What a Great Idea

I mean, Breast Cancer has the Susan G Komen Foundation, so it is only natural that Prostate & Testicular Cancer has their knight in shining armor. Much has been done for the former, but men’s health initiatives have lagged behind, or at least gotten a slower start. It is never too late though, and this charity has been hugely successful in raising awareness of these cancers that affect men.

What is Movember?

Movember is a global fundraising charity drive to raise money for the support of prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives. Money is raised by individuals (and teams) that seek sponsorship from their friends and family as they see what kind of mustache they can grow out during the month of November, hence of course, “Movember”.

The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and their men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with their strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.

Here are the down and dirty facts:

Prostate Cancer

• Is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over age 75, but is commonly diagnosed in men over 40
• In the U.S. it is the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related death in men, and globally it is the 6th
• Many factors (mostly genetics and diet) have been implicated in the development of this cancer
• It can cause sexual intercourse problems, erectile dysfunction, pain, and difficulty with urinating among other things.

Testicular Cancer

• Affects about 8,000 men every year in the U.S., killing about 400
• Is most common in men between the ages of 20 and 39
• Has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers (approximately 90%)

 

The History of Movember

Movember started in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia with 30 men, or as they are affectionately referred to as “Mo Bros” in Melbourne, Australia. Since then they have grown to 854,288 Mo Bros in 2011. To date, they have raised over $300 Million Dollars globally, making this moustache movement a leading force in that is changing the face of men’s health.

TICO* & Movember

TICO* is made in the U.S.A. We admit that all of us at Team Tico* are a little competitive in nature, and we aren’t too jazzed about the fact that the U.S. is at #4 in the Movember Leader Boards. Our goal is to do all we can through awareness and participation to help bring America to the #1 slot. After all, a little friendly competition is a great thing when it comes to a great cause like Movember. Through outbound communications to our community, as well as the sponsorships of multiple events in our home city (Austin, Texas), Team TICO* strives to accomplish our goals. Stay tuned through the month of November for updates on our Event Sponsorships and even some funny pictures of the Moustaches that Austin men will be sporting in support of this great cause. Stay tuned and please respond with any ‘stash pics that you think are worth sharing!

How You Can Participate

Being a part of this great annual event is easy, and TICO* has it’s own team! You have two options, you can simply donate a few bucks to the cause, or you can join as a member of our team and raise awareness through your circles of influence. Join us in our effort and prepare to show the world what kind of stash you can produce in a month! Good luck and thanks for being a part of Movember and TICO*!

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