Mo Support for Movember
By Ashley Shantz 
Never before has facial hair been this stylish - or charitable! Movember (a clever collaboration of moustache and November), was created to raise awareness and funds for the most prominent men’s cancer: prostate cancer. We spoke with Jesse Hayman, Movember’s Community Development Manager, to learn more about the cause that’s made upper lip hair cool again.
What is Movember in a nutshell?
Movember was started to create a conversation and build awareness about men’s health, specifically prostate cancer – a subject that was rarely talked about before the campaign. One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, so early detection and quick treatment are essential. We encourage men to visit their doctors and get checked annually, and our overall goal is to change the face of men’s health.
What is your position within the company?
I am the Community Development Manager for Movember. My job? To rally colleges, universities, clubs, local communities and work with Health Canada to promote Movember and raise awareness about men’s health.
How has social media been used to promote and engage Movember supporters?
Facebook and Twitter was huge last year so we continued to use it this year. It gives the Movember team the opportunity to interact with people who we might not reach otherwise.
Twitter: @MovemberCA
Facebook: Movember Canada
How have you changed your outreach tactics to reach more people and engage young men?
Each year we change up the campaign to add some excitement but we stick with what we know. We focus on campus programs ensuring the engagement of students. Having 20-something-year-olds talking about men’s health puts us so far ahead of where we were even a couple of years ago. There is an incredible benefit to engaging young men and women. It gets them involved and aware early in life so that they can be proactive about their health.
What is the best way to get involved?
Grow a Mo and register at www.movember.com. The Movember site provides you with everything you need to help you on your hairy journey. We encourage women to register online and participate in the conversation about men’s health too.
Do you think there’s a disconnect between men who grow ‘staches for fun and ones who actively seek donations? Or does is it all for a good cause?
Mo Bros become walking, talking awareness ads. It’s a campaign that brings people together through comradery - it starts a conversation. It’s not necessarily a bad thing when people grow moustaches but aren’t registered online to raise money - they still spark conversation and garner attention for Movember. Our goal is to educate those people about Movember.com and encourage them to register next year.
Can you speak to Torontonian support?
Canada as a whole raised more money than any other country participating in Movember. We raised a grand total of (drum roll please!) $39,309,306! There were over 250,000 people registered at Movember.com. Congrats Canada!
We also experienced unique support through the Bay Street Challenge in Toronto – a competition between the banks that challenged each other to raise the most money they could in support of Movember.
