Niagara College had a fan-stache-tic show of support in raising money and awareness for Movember this year.
Movember is a global movement with the goal of changing the face of men’s health by raising funds and awareness for mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The Movember campaign has gained great attention and popularity for its fundraising methods, with participants beginning the month of November with a clean-shaven face and raising funds for their moustache growing efforts over the course of the month.
Niagara College International rose to the challenge this year and raised $525 for the cause.
“Niagara College International is proud to support the Movember movement,” shared Dorita Pentesco, acting director, International. “Our team stepped up to the challenge over the course of November, which is a true testament to the passionate staff and faculty we have at Niagara College.”
To raise awareness and funds, International team members in Canada and a local in-country representative from Colombia grew their moustaches and tracked their kilometres, walking 60 kilometres over the month for the 60 men who lose their battle to mental health each hour, all while encouraging men to be proactive about their health.
International Student Services coordinator, Michelle Silk, explained how she was motivated to join the NC International Movember team because it was raising funds and awareness for health issues that could happen to any of the males, or females, in her life.
“It wasn’t necessarily about prostate cancer for me, but funding for cancer research in general,” explained Silk. “My dear friend and colleague had returned to work this year after having her own personal diagnosis of colon cancer.”
Silk regularly tracked her kilometres on the team page over the course of November. “I liked that the campaign allowed everyone to get involved by walking,” said Silk. “Since working from home, I have felt tied to my computer and frankly was getting stiff and sore; it was a good motivator to get up and move daily. I learned that my block is exactly 0.5 kilometres.”
Campaign supporter Cindy Andrews, NC International contract training manager, is pictured with her NC Movember Bear Christmas ornament, which was hand-carved and painted by Jonathan Belgrave, NC International digital media specialist.
For every $10 donated, supporters were entered to win an NC Movember Bear Christmas ornament hand carved and painted by Jonathan Belgrave, NC International digital media specialist. NC International contract training manager Cindy Andrews was the lucky winner.
“Each moustache is a conversation starter to encourage men to be proactive about their health,” shared NC’s international regional manager for the Americas and Caribbean, Fernando Gama de Oliveira, who was the NC International Movember team lead. “A friend in his thirties won a battle against cancer, which shows that it can happen at any age. Movember is about raising awareness, but also having fun with our elegant moustaches. Next November, I hope that we’ll be able to display our moustaches on campus and engage in life-saving conversations.”
The Niagara College Movember team would like to thank all those who participated, donated or showed their support for this year’s campaign.
