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News and Info - General News and Announcements | The United Church of Canada

About Movember

The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember.
Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for prostate cancer. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health. Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.

In 2004 the campaign evolved and focused on raising awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men – prostate cancer. 432 Mo Bros joined the movement that year, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia - representing the single largest donation they had ever received.

The Movember moustache has continued to grow year after year, expanding to Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

Check out this #Movember effort to change the face of men's health http://t.co/lw7a87D via @movember

In 2009, global participation of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising $47 Million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners. We are proud to announce that last year’s Canadian campaign was the second largest in the world behind Australia, with 35,156 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas coming together to raise $7.8 million for Prostate Cancer Canada.
 
Go to the Movember Website!

Greetings members of AOTS Consecon Carrying Place:

Today you celebrate 50 years of your club’s existence. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement. There are among you some who have taken that entire journey. Please extend best wishes to your four charter members: Gerald Batchelor, Russell Forsythe, Ross Goodmurphy and Gordon Lloyd. These elders and all are honoured tonight. Well done.

Your club has seen many changes since 1960. You were born in the age of: Mike vs Dief, a time of Kennedy, Castro and the Bay of Pigs; and later the Beatles, Vietnam, Trudeaumania, birth control and the sexual revolution; the flag and de Gaulle’s Vive Le Quebec Libre.

You have seen many things including the development of our health care system; Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment and the end of apartheid; the closing of residential schools and apologies to survivors; the advent of the internet; and the challenge of globalization, climate change and 9/11.

And throughout that time you have been an AOTS club devoted to the concept of servant leadership and the teachings of the one we call Christ, Jesus. 

Carrying Place United Church
You have sent youth to camp, built cabins at Quin-Mo-Lac for them to sleep in, dispensed bursaries to deserving students, organized strawberry socials, pancake dinners and auctions to raise money for various worthy causes. Well done Consecon Carrying Place. Thank you for your work.

While Christian fellowship and service has always been an important characteristic of AOTS, that spirit of service and reaching out is needed now more than ever. Congratulations and best wishes for the years ahead, as you continue the work of making a real difference for people by being among them as one that serves.

Thank you

Jim McKibbin