Movember began in Melbourne, Australia in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2004 that the charity began to promote awareness about prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men worldwide. Men will shave their facial hair at the beginning of the month of November, and won’t cut their mustaches until the month is over.
Mustache growers sign up on Movember’s website as a “team” (or group of people supporting or growing mustaches), and then begin collecting donations online to “sponsor” their ‘staches.
Just last year, Movember raised $80.7 million worldwide for charity. All money raised for the charity goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, Lance Armstrong’s Foundation.
Movember was originally affiliated with Greek fraternities at FAU, but this year, the event has been extended to all members of the FAU community.
Student Government Vice President Robert Huffman, who is currently participating in the event, said that as of midway through November, FAU had raised $4500. With about 150 men participating, FAU’s Movember team has set their ultimate goal for donations at $7000.
This is Huffman’s second year participating in Movember. “Mine isn’t the best mustache,” confessed Huffman. “But we’ve got some guys with handlebars that go down to their chests.” So far, Huffman has raised $70 for his mustache.
Senior computer science major and Delta Tau Delta member Alexander Fanaian is also participating in Movember. This is his second year growing out his mustache.
When Fanaian first participated in Movember, he didn’t expect to be too involved with it. “It was just something to do at first,” he said. “And then [the fraternities] just got really into it.”
Now, Fanaian has one of the most notable mustaches on campus. He’s growing handlebars, where both ends of his mustache grow downward. As of right now, his handlebar mustache has reached all the way down his neck. Last year, he won the “Best Mustache” award and he plans on competing for the title again this year.
Fanaian has raised $110 for Movember so far, but he doesn’t want to stop there. His goal is to raise $180 by the end of the month.
“The last two weeks are the hardest time to get money,” said Fanaian. “You get money from people you know, and from now on, it’s crunch time. It’s about getting people to donate.”
Greek organizations on campus and local businesses also provided Movember T-shirts that say “Ask me about my mustache”. Three hundred shirts were made, selling for $5 each. As of press time, only 20 shirts were left. The money for the shirts will be donated along with the rest of the money raised for Movember.
Men aren’t the only ones participating in the event. Women who participate in Movember are called “Mo Sistas.” The Mo Sistas work to promote Movember around campus, but they’re not shaving any of their hair to raise money. Instead, Mo Sistas offer support for the “Mo Bros” who are participating in the event.
They also raise money for the Movember Foundation through donations, which plays a significant role in the accumulation of money for charity. And they get to keep their hair.
Junior political science major Kayla Chojnacki is one of the Mo Sistas of Movember. So far, Chojnacki has raised $15, but she told the UP that she had also helped by selling Movember shirts to raise money.
“I hope [that Movember] raises the awareness of prostate cancer,” said Chojnacki, “And hopefully there will be a cure.”
At the end of Movember, members of the FAU Movember team have a celebratory party called the “‘Stache Bash.” This year, the event will take place on Nov. 28 at Dubliner in Boca Raton. At the Stache Bash, participants compete for awards such as Best Mustache, Mr. and Mrs. Movember and Worst Mustache.
Robert Huffman told the UP that he hopes Movember will expand in the future. “We want [Movember] to become a tradition at FAU, in which everyone can be involved with,” he said. “Hopefully one day, we’ll have all the Owls grow mustaches, or support [Movember].”
