Movember

November is no longer November.

Thanks to an idea dreamed up in Australia seven years ago, November has been re-christened as Movember.

Back in 2003, a group of men in Melbourne, Australia decided that they wanted to raise awareness of men's health issues. They decided to take the mustache, a symbol of masculinity, and use it bring awareness to the issue of prostate cancer. From this small group of guys, the idea spread like wildfire. One year later,432 "Mo Bros" raised over $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Over the next few years, the idea spread around the world, to Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, and the Netherlands. In 2009, over 255,000 men around the world participated in Movember and raised over $47 million. In Canada alone, 35,000 participants raised $7.8 million.

It's amazing how fast the concept and level of donations has spread. The Movember Foundation has done a great job at spreading its message and using public relations to further a great cause. They've used both traditional and social media to spread the idea. They have corporate sponsors, like Canadian Club, Schick, and Mercedes Benz on board. But they've effectively used word of mouth to spread the concept. A few years back, when Movember was getting off the ground in Canada, anyone with a mustache would be asked why they were growing one. That person would be likely to give a rundown about what Movember is and how it was raising awareness for prostate cancer. This word of mouth has spread like wildfire over the last few years and so has awareness of the dangers of prostate cancer.

In 2010, Movember is huge. Celebrities, athletes, and just regular people are rocking 'staches and its all for a good cause. So forget about November, it doesn't exist anymore. Make a donation to Prostate Cancer Canada. Support the 'stache. Support Movember.