Facial hair has not really been my big thing. I have sported a goatee a while back and even a “soul patch” but I always ended up shaving it off to the cheers of my wife, parents and even my kids. But for the month of November, I’m getting scruffy again but this time for a cause – to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. I have joined a team over at Movember, a site that is evangelizing and organizing this growing movement, and I hope that you will contribute your support in this effort.

We start the month clean shaven. And then, let our Mo’s grow. Unfortunately, I look incredibly silly with just a mustache, so I’m going to try the goatee thing again. Here’s where I’m starting:

And who knows where I will end up!

But I’m asking for your support. I’ve teamed up with 44 other dads (hopefully we will grow this number just like our mustaches), on Team “Dad 2.0/Man of the House/NYC Dads Group/DadCentric/DadLabs” . I write for Man of the House so that’s why I’m part of this team. Please, if you can spare it, make a contribution to me or to my team!

How Prostate Cancer Affected My Family

But I do have a personal story that makes the reason why I’m doing this important. My father had prostate cancer. He was diagnosed right as my wife and I were starting our family. For us during that time, it was a scary period of sadness and happiness, bringing a new life into the world but worrying about the health of another. By the time our first child was born, my father had had radioactive seeds or pellets implanted in his prostate. The treatment was aggressive but my dad maintained a good sense of humor throughout. He joked how he was now radioactive and had a “glowing personality.”

When our first child was born, my father couldn’t hold her because of the radiation. We had to sit with her across the room from him. I could see the sadness in his eyes and the pain in his heart.

Fast forward 13 years and my father his a happy granddad, with 3 grandkids from us, and a clean bill of health. I just hope that more successful stories like this come to light from other families around the world.

About Movember.com

More information from the Movember.com site:

Movember – a global movement
Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. In addition, Movember is aware of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas supporting the campaign and men’s health cause across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, and everywhere in between.
No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.
In 2010, over 64,500 US Mo Bros and Mo Sistas got on board, raising $7.5 million USD.

The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, Research
The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
For more information on the programs we are funding please visit the following:
Prostate Cancer Foundation
LIVESTRONG, The Lance Armstrong Foundation
Awareness & Education
Global Action Plan

Have you had a male family member affected by prostate or other cancers that affect males? If so, I hope that you take some time to read up on Movember and donate to my Movember team and support the cause!

HTD says: Hope you are ready to see some crazy facial hair!