Oliver Nolan
Staff Writer
As far as charity fundraisers go, Movember is pretty unique. Unlike those overly friendly conversation seekers plaguing the streets, it’s impossible to avoid. We’re just over a week into the most glorious month of the year, and the mo’s are springing up unheralded in all quarters. There’s a definite increase in awareness this year, signposted by the sheer amount of potentially magnificent facial hair on show. Who knows, you might even return from reading week to find that your economics lecturer has morphed into Rollie Fingers.
The period after Week 1 is undoubtedly the most trying period for any Mo’ bro. First shave complete, your mo’ undoubtedly has yet to fill out, every glance in the mirror triggering flashbacks to that awkward period at 13/14 when you realised you had to do something about that ronnie. But keep the faith. Soon it will blossom, and then…well, the reactions will come flowing in. Despite the noble cause – to raise awareness and funds to treat prostate and other forms of cancer – not everyone will be high-fiving you on the street. A mo’ can lead to many an awkward exchange with perplexed strangers, particularly if you’re also trying to hold down a job, as is my predicament. This might boil down to the pairing of an unflattering uniform (stupid red shirt, stupid red hat) and my mo’ of choice, the handlebar (what else?). While most patrons are complimentary, informed of the cause and eager to give off some lovely “fair play ‘tya” vibes and maybe even a few coppers, the occasional, oblivious person will be visibly creeped out, possibly even threatened by the caterpillar that has taken up residence between your nose and your upper lip. And what of it? Get yourself a free collection box from the Movember site – http://ie.movember.com/ – get out there and get fund raising. Mo’ surrender!
Now to confess my shame: I, Oliver Nolan, cheated at Movember this year. When November 1st rolled around, with the mandatory clean-shave imminent, I found myself unprepared to fully part with my beard, and simply shaved around my already established ‘tache. No one will mind I thought. A mo’s a mo’ I thought… I was so wrong. In recent days, this has led to grillings from all angles. ‘You didn’t grow that in a week!’; ‘Do you have hormonal problems?’; ‘You’re a monster!’ all accusations I have faced in recent days, and so with the help of my trusty beard trimmer, I have reverted back to where I should roughly be at this stage. Apologies to all offended.
More on my moustache next week…but for now, here’s some information on the good cause. This week, I spoke to Donna Parsons, Communications Officer for Irish Cancer Society about the cultural impact of Movember and some of the symptoms and causes of the various forms of cancer…
- Q: How would you explain the Movember fundraiser to someone who thinks it’s just about growing a moustache to look silly for a month?
The month of November has been renamed Movember and is a month long fundraising and awareness-raising campaign dedicated to men’s health. Men and women are asked to register online as a Mo Bro or Mo Sista and get involved in the campaign. Men are asked to be clean shaven on November 1st and to grow a moustache or Mo for the month of November. The moustache is the symbol of the campaign and begins conversations that start about the mo and leads to men’s health – why they are doing the campaign.
- What kind of, perhaps less noticeable cancer symptoms would you advise one should look out for?
Each cancer has its own specific signs and symptoms – our advice to everyone across the board is in line with the European Code Against Cancer – which is;
- Do not smoke
- Eat a healthy diet
- Limit your intake of alcohol
- Be physically active
- Be a healthy weight
- Be SunSmart
- If something changes that’s not normal for you – go to your doctor
- Attend for screening if you are called
- In the UK, between 2007 and 2009, an average of three-quarters of prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in men aged 65 years and over. Many might conceive Movember as a younger generation, student oriented fundraising activity, with a lot of focus on universities and social networks. How do you feel about this focus on the younger generation?
Everyone who takes part in November has a father, an uncle, a brother – someone in their life who may be at risk of prostate cancer. A theme of this year’s campaign is passing the knowledge – from one generation to another. So from our point of view if we can get younger men aware of their health and how they be proactive about it – we are not only ensure that they look after their health as they age we also know that they will pass this knowledge onto the men in their lives.
- Movember Ireland has been helping to raise awareness for men’s health since 2007. Have you noticed a distinct change in attitudes since the initiative began here?
Since Movember began we have had thousands of people learning more about men’s health – last year alone over 15,000 people got involved in Movember. Millions of euro have also been raised through the campaign, over 1.2m in 2011, this money is being channelled into prostate cancer research, information and support for men with prostate cancer, and advocacy campaigns for better prostate cancer services. This work is making a difference to men with prostate cancer today and in the future.
If you’d like to donate to Oliver’s Movember fund, go to http://mobro.co/olivernolan
