Movember comes to an end

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

Movember is now over but the fight against cancer isn’t. Movember (November) was designated to help raise awareness to male cancers, specifically prostate cancer. 

Members of the Strathmore Rural Fire Department, SRFD, grew out their best mustaches to show their support to the cause. 

“Just because we could raise money for the charity, we thought that was a good thing,” said Mark Heilman, chief of the SRFD.  

A minimum of a $25 donation was needed to participate. A total of $800 was raised, with the SFRD matching the donations they received. 

“We actually made the donations out of our pocket, that was part of our deal. We paid money to grow the mustache and then the association, what they do is they match the money that is raised,” said Heilman. 

This was only the second year members of the SRFD have taken part in Movember, and Heilman says he can see it continuing for years to come. 

On Dec 1 they got together to see who had the best ‘Mo’ and who had the worst. They just looked at who had the roughest looking one for the worst, and the neatest for the best 

“I won the worst mustache,” said Heilman.  

Movember is recognized around the world and began in 2003, when the idea came to bring the mustache back, as a bit of a joke, while doing something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003 but as of 2009 over $47 million was raised across the globe. In 2009 Canada raised $7.8 million, second only to Australia where Movember was originally initiated. Monies raised through the Canadian campaign go directly to Prostate Cancer Canada to help fund vital research, which will lead to better screening tests and treatment options.