November is finally here, and most people are celebrating the colder weather with delicious pumpkin spice lattes, cozy sweaters, and snuggling up to the fire with their loved ones. However, November holds more importance than just getting into the holiday spirit. November is also known by many as “Movember”. Despite its growing popularity, not everyone is aware of what Movember exactly means… Let us explain!

Movember is an annual campaign promoting men’s health awareness throughout November. Conditions that Movember focuses on include prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Movember doesn’t focus on physical health solely, but also mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The Movember foundation believes more than ever before, that there is an epidemic of men dying prematurely. Since its beginnings in 2003, the organization has supported over 1,250 men’s health awareness projects around the world.

The success of Movember is unprecedented. In 2018 alone, the organization raised $18.4 million in the United States. Roughly 73% of those funds went to various men’s health awareness projects. In addition, Movember is sponsored by several notable companies, such as NBC Sports, Mastercard, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Cox Enterprises, Amazon, and countless others.

Want to take part in Movember but not sure how? There are many different ways you can help the cause, besides monetary.

1. Grow a mo, AKA mustache! Sign up online and then let your ‘stache do the talking. Your mo will definitely strike up a conversation. Use this opportunity to talk about Movember and what it stands for. Whether it’s a sole or community effort, the more hair the better!

2. Take part in Move for Movember. Walk or run 60 miles total this month in honor of the 60 men we lose to suicide every hour across the world. Whether it is a team or solo effort, every act of awareness makes a difference.

3. Host a mo-ment. This could be a fancy dinner, a thrilling sports event, or even a casual party. Sign up on the official website and then decide what kind of event you want to plan. Big or small, every amount goes towards the future of men’s health.

4. Get your workplace involved! Sign up solo, as a team, or compete against other offices and departments. Your corporation can also join the Movember Business Club’s fundraising challenge.

Movember’s ultimate goal is to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by the year 2030. AAU is proud to take part in Movember this year to bring more attention to prostate cancer awareness, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and more. To find out additional information about Movember, visit the official website at https://us.movember.com/. You can also speak with Athens Area Urology to find out how to get involved in the mo-vement locally.