Movember has two parts
As November moves along, you may notice guys walking around with new or additional facial hair. Don’t be alarmed; they are likely participating in No-Shave November.
No-Shave November, or Movember, is an effort by men to grow out their facial hair during November to promote awareness about prostate and testicular cancer. They are allowed to trim their scruff, but need to maintain some type of facial hair.
According to ABC News 28,000 people died from prostate cancer in 2014 and 38,000 people died of testicular cancer during the same period.
But there’s more to Movember than just growing hair.
Men who participate are supposed to donate money they would spend on shaving products to the nonprofit organization “No-Shave.org.” But it seems that many men don’t.
According to thejambar.com, over $126.3 million was raised last year. Seems like a lot, right?
But this is money that was raised over the ENTIRE WORLD. The article stated that 854,288 men in more than 15 countries participated in Movember to raise that amount.
The sad part? The United States has lagged behind in fundraising collecting only $90,000 in 2013, according to an article in Business Insider.
But maybe we’re catching on because it seems we’re doing better this year. As of last Friday “No-Shave.org” has raised $895,788 with donations from not only individuals but also through companies and other organizations across the country.
However it still seems that the percentage of money raised compared to the number of participants is still quite low. Why is this?
Is it because men and groups who participate aren’t donating as much, the cost of shaving isn’t as much as people make it out to be or is it because people are just growing facial and not even donating at all?
It seems that No-Shave November has turned into another empty cause that people are participating in to show that they are good, yet perhaps not following through with the donation part. It’s like wearing a ribbon for a cause, but never donating to it or helping those in need.
People are turning something that is meant to help others and potentially save lives into a reason not to shave in November.
Instead of not shaving just because it’s November, how about you donate your time or money to actually help. If you do, maybe then we can be that much closer to a world that will be cancer free.
More Stories
Letters From London: Bulletin from Belfast
I spent Saint Patrick’s Day in Belfast, Ireland. A good friend of mine, Reilly Tennis, a VTSU student, is studying in Northern Ireland at Ulster University in a town called Coleraine. Sya Barnes, another VTSU student and good friend, is studying at Essex University in Colchester, England, so we decided to meet Reilly in Belfast […]
These worms aren’t good for your soil
As you read this article, there might be a destructive species of worm crawling silently underneath your feet. The Green Mountain state’s soil is being severely threatened by a species of worm that sounds like it should be in a children’s cartoon. The reason why they are called Jumping Worms is because they have a […]
Your life depends on it
I’m never growing up. I’m now a poser in a punk rock sense. When, or if, I go to a show, I stand in the back by the bathrooms. I leave the pit to the younger, more virile people. My back hurts too much for that shit. Honestly, I never trusted anyone over 30. When […]
Time for U.S. to educate and work together
We all know how news in mainstream media tends to be biased in how it is delivered to the public. But, are enough of us aware of just how much information is lost on the citizens, especially in rural areas. Many people tend to live in their own bubbles and ignore the rest of the […]
The ethics of “The Bridge”
The goal of professor David Blow’s Media Ethics course is to have greater understanding of the various ethical dilemmas that media workers deal with on a daily basis and the implications of their decisions. One assignment in this class was to watch a documentary titled “The Bridge,” produced by Eric Steel, and react to what […]
Cutting off my nose to spite my face
Spite is a powerful tool. The majority of the time, if I do anything, it is out of spite. Tell me I cannot do something and bam, I will do it just to watch you suffer. I got into standup comedy after someone once told me I wasn’t funny. I then performed a show with […]