Town employees remember one of their own during Movember

November 21, 2019 · 0 Comments

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

The Town of Caledon is in the midst of participating in its seventh successive Movember, through its team the ‘Caledon Manley Men’.

Movember is a movement that began in 2003 and to date has funded more than 1,250 health projects regarding men’s health. Movember educates and raises awareness about prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health and suicide prevention.

People from all over the world participate in Movember, which includes growing a mustache or facial hair throughout the month of November. Teams are created within communities to help raise awareness and funds for the cause.

Kyle Munro, a Town employee, has been participating in Movember since 2007.

“The previous organization I worked at, Toronto Conservation, did it for several years. When I came here to the Town in 2013, we started up a team. It wasn’t always the same people, year after year,” explains Munro. “We changed our name to the Caledon Manley Men later as one of our staff, who actually passed away, his last name was Manley, who fell subject to these issues.”

Members of the Caledon Manley Men take a picture at the beginning of the month, and at the end to track the growth of everyone’s facial hair. Women do partake in Movember as well by donating, and either wearing fake mustaches or pulling their hair on top of the upper lip to mimic one.

Another team that is participating in Movember is the Caledon Fire Department.

“It’s a bit of a lighthearted way to deal with some serious issues, and I think that’s what draws people to it,” says Munro. “I know we aren’t the largest donator to the cause, but every little bit helps.”

Going back to the very beginnings of the popular movement – it was a pair of Australian men, named Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, who got together for a beer one day and thought up the idea of Movember. It was all kind of a joke at first, about the moustache in the past and how the look has faded.

They got the inspiration from a fundraiser that one of their friends’ mothers, who was fundraising for breast cancer, and decided to do their own for men who suffer from prostate and testicular cancer. As the years progressed more and more people took interest in the campaign and the awareness, and the moustache found a new purpose.

Five million men and women, also known as “Mo Bros and Mo Sista’s” have participated in Movember since 2003.

“Our page is up there if anyone is involved or has yet to get involved, it’s not too late. People can sign up, they can certainly join our team,” says Munro. “It’s a fun cause, but it’s an important cause to participate in. It doesn’t really take much out of you, other than letting it go, and letting people know that you’re doing it. We’re very happy with the participation we’ve had both from men and women in the office.”

For more information or to donate to the Caledon Manley Men, please visit ca.movember.com.