This Movember, Moustaches Coming to a Video Call Near You as Canadians Nation-Wide “Grow A Mo For Men’s Health”

NEW SURVEY FINDS: 76% OF CANADIANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE CAREFREE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE WHEN ON ZOOM/VIDEO CONFERENCE

TORONTO, Nov. 2, 2020 /CNW/ – Movember, Canada’s leading men’s health organization, is kicking off its 14^th annual campaign in Canada today.  While this year might look a little different, with moustaches sprouting behind a mask, the need to raise funds and awareness for men’s health has never been more important.  Social isolation, as many Canadians are experiencing, can often be a precursor to increased feelings of anxiety, depression and grief and this has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, 3 out of 4 suicides are by men and it remains the second leading cause of death for men 15-44.  This is the time to come together and do some good, while having a little fun, which everyone could use right now.  Help stop our fathers, brothers, partners, sons and friends, from dying to young – join the movement and sign-up at Movember.com.

Mo Bros and Mo Sisters who are planning to join the Movember movement this year can sign-up at www.Movember.com, create a Mo Space, choose to Grow, Move, Host or Mo Your Own Way and start raising funds and awareness for men’s mental and physical health. 

• GROW: A Mo. It’s our hairy ribbon. At the beginning of the month, grab the razor and shave down clean. Grow your moustache for the next 30 days and wear it proudly.
• MOVE: Commit to running or walking 60kms over the month. That’s 60kms for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour across the world. You can join a team or run solo.
• HOST: A Mo-ment- Rally a crew and do something fun. Hosting is all about having a good time for a good cause. And you can always put a virtual spin on your plans. The best part? Virtual events are easy to organize, cheap to run and you can go in your slippers. Think an online gaming tournament, Mo Bingo or a virtual trivia night.
• MO YOUR OWN WAY: Whether it’s a gruelling test of physical endurance or a not-so-sweaty pledge to kick a bad habit, you choose your adventure and run with it.

While the world looks different, Canadians across the country are finding creative ways to get engaged this Movember 2020. While Mo’s might not be admired in-person as frequently as in previous years, there are many fun moustache styles that fit comfortably and safely under a mask or face covering for those GROW’ing. The online world has opened the doors to unique, out-of-the-box fundraising ideas for those who are hoping to HOST, while also giving fundraisers the chance to stay socially connected, and as new stats show, improving their general mental health through virtual engagement.

A new study of 3,000 Canadians, conducted by Maru/Blue ⁱⁱ, found:

• 71% of Canadians felt that connecting with friends and family virtually has helped improve their mental health.
• 60% of Canadians felt that virtual activities (happy hour Zoom calls, virtual poker night, book club, etc.) made them feel more connected during the pandemic.

For those who are looking to MOVE for Movember, new stats for the same survey give guidance into how Canadians are keeping physically active in 2020:

• For 66% of Canadians, the pandemic has resulted in missing a scheduled social activity like playing a sport, getting together for poker night or meeting up for a drink
• 85% of Canadians have adjusted by getting outdoors for physical activity; 45% are using a home gym; and 10% have engaged in virtual fitness classes

“There is no question that the lack of social-connectedness in our current phase of the pandemic is having an impact on Canadian’s mental health,” says Todd Minerson, Country Director for Movember Canada. “Many guys are isolated and disconnected from their usual social support networks – and the places where men usually go to have those shoulder-to-shoulder conversations with their friends, like going out for a drink, watching or playing a sport, or going to the gym, have been severely reduced.  It’s a very important time to be raising awareness and supporting men’s health, and we’re excited to see so many Canadians join us this year.”

Now in its 14^th year in Canada, the annual Mo-growing campaign encourages ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sisters’ across the country to rally in support of Movember’s primary cause areas; men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. To date, through moustaches grown and conversations generated, Movember has proudly welcomed over six million supporters and helped fund over 1,250 innovative men’s health projects across twenty countries, nearly 300 of those right here in Canada.  While this year may look a little different and fundraisers may not be able to show off their moustaches in the same social ways they have previously, the role of the Mo has never been more important. 

MOVEMBER IN THE ERA OF COVID-19

Earlier this year, Movember released figures aimed at exploring the impact COVID-19 has had on social connections, particularly when it comes to men. The research, conducted by the Social Research Centre found ⁱ:

• 4 out of 10 Canadian men say no one has asked how they’re coping during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 25% of Canadian men has not checked in with friends or family, compared with only 13% of women
• Older men are the group most likely to have experienced poorer social connection, with 57 per cent of Canadian men aged 45+ reporting they feel less connected to friends and family since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
• Canadians are more likely to check-in on how female friends and family are coping since the pandemic began, than they are their male counterparts.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

Funds raised during the month of Movember (and all year round) will go towards funding innovative global programs and research aimed at these primary cause areas, with the intent of tackling these stats head-on. The following are only some of the programs Movember has launched in 2020:

• Digital mental health tools, including Movember Conversations, a free online ‘conversation simulator’ to kick start conversations with the men who might be struggling – available in French and English.
• $3.2 million for the Social Connections Challenge to engage with innovative, crowd sourced digital or technology ideas, to better connect men amid isolation. In Canada, up to five ideas will be selected with an investment between $90–225K towards each idea.
• Mental health grants for Veterans and First Responders initiatives with an initial investment of $6.34 million over the next two years (supported by DGR) with $800K invested into programs active in Canada.

For more information or to join the Movember movement today, visit www.movember.com.

Images are available for download here.

Note to Editors: 
Movember strongly encourages the inclusion of appropriate help-seeking information for stories about suicide and mental illness. For support at any time, day or night, we encourage Canadians to reach out to one of the following services: Suicide Prevention Service (Toll Free: 1-833-456-4566 – ENG, 1-866-277-3553 – FR) or the Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868). For more help-seeking information, visit Movember.com/findhelp.

About Movember: 
Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The charity raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programmes that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. Committed to disrupting the status quo, millions have joined the movement, helping fund over 1,250 projects around the world. In addition to tackling key health issues faced by men, Movember is working to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their life, with a focus on men staying socially connected and becoming more open to discussing their health and significant moments in their lives. The charity’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To donate or learn more, please visit Movember.com.