Movember officially started on Thursday, November 1^st – do you really know what this incredibly manly endeavor is all about?

As the legend goes, Movember began in Australia in 2003, hence the name. “Mo” is Australian slang for a moustache and this was combined with November. Thirty men took part, beginning with a clean shaven face and spent the next 30 days growing their best moustaches. From there, interest grew rapidly and the Movember Foundation was born with 450 men enrolling. By the end of that month, the hirsute heroes had raised $55,000 for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Movember began to spread across the globe and as of last year, Canada was at the forefront of moustache cultivation. An astonishing 245,000 furry faced Canadians managed to raise an astounding $42 million out of a world total of $125 million.

This year, the focus of the Foundation will be split, with 40 percent of funds going to male mental health programs and 60 percent to prostate cancer programs. Many men tend towards silence in regard to health problems and mental states, but the hope is that Movember will promote awareness and initiate dialogue between men.

Iconic moustaches have popped up over the years – and you’ll find many in the Top 10 Movie Moustaches Of All Time. For added motivation, be sure to check out this album of almost 4,000 moustache photos from all over the world!

Tom Selleck and Christopher Lee

Movember is not only a great way to encourage awareness, but is also a lot of fun! With Canada at the top of the list, we want to know how Niagaras men (Mo Bros) and women (Mo Sistas) are getting involved. Let us know in the comments below!

We would also love to have you to send us your photos – the more outrageous, the better.

You can send an email to movember@naturallyinniagara.ca with your stories, photos or links for Movember.

To get an idea of how Movember works, check out our Movember group here and also take a look at our photos below!