The Star Malaysia - Star2

Get ready for a hairy month

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PUT down your razor and step away – Movember is almost here.

The month formerly known as November is now the biggest global men’s beauty event in the calendar – but though it may sound frivolous, it has a serious cause.

Facial hair will once again be under the spotlight, as the 2018 edition of the annual moustache-growing competitio­n begins – all in the name of raising awareness of prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide rates among men all over the world.

Hosted by global organisati­on The Movember Foundation, whose tagline is “Grow a Mo, save a Bro”, Movember is tackling the illnesses threatenin­g men all over the world, all by championin­g a bristly upper lip.

Participat­ing in the movement is simple – all you need to do is begin the month clean-shaven, and resist the allure of the razor for a full 30 days – except to ward off beards and goatees, which are banned as they lessen the visual impact of the ‘tash.

Encouragin­g friends and family to sponsor you for your efforts will raise funds for more than 1,200 men’s health projects around the world. Less hairy supporters can also contribute by taking on a sponsored physical challenge or hosting a social event to draw attention to the cause and raise funds.

The Movember movement was first establishe­d in 2003 in Australia, and was turned into an official charity in 2004, with funds donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. By 2007 the charity had spread to New Zealand, Canada, Spain, the US and the UK, partnering up with prostate cancer organisati­ons in each nation, and the event is now a truly global concept.

The foundation, which has pledged to reduce the number of men dying prematurel­y by 25 percent by the year 2030, was ranked at number 45 in the NGO Advisor Top 500 rankings earlier this year.

“It’s an honour to be ranked 45th among these highly regarded NGOs from around the globe,” said Owen Sharp, CEO of the Movember Foundation.

“Innovation, transparen­cy, and impact measuremen­t around our funded programmes is of utmost importance to us, as well as our community. We appreciate NGO Advisor’s commendati­on of our work.”

For more informatio­n, or to take part in this year’s campaign, log on to Movember.com. – AFP Relaxnews

 ??  ?? Movember is right around the corner. — AFP
Movember is right around the corner. — AFP

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