Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Movember is an annual month-long event including the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness about prostate cancer as well as other male cancer. The goal of Movember is to change the face of men’s health by encouraging men to get involved. Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and, certainly, effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths.
Besides getting annual checkups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of any family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds across the world. In 2007 many events were launched and it then included Canada, and I’m certainly proud to say that Canadians have been some of the largest contributors to the charity through Movember to help men’s health.
James MacKenzie and Sugan Mannavarajan have been leaders in this initiative to bring it here to Yellowknife. Last year they were key to ensuring that it got off the ground. This year was no different. Those two individuals are bringing this campaign to life.
This evening there will be an event at The Cellar, where men are encouraged to come on down and shave their mustache. There will be an inaugural shave by Jimmy the barber, and many of us know him from Ragged Ass Barber Shop. He’s a fantastic guy, and he’s been a leader and, certainly, a pillar to this event. Other folks in this Assembly are joining on this Movember campaign. We have Mr. Dolynny on this side here. We also have Mr. Moses who will be joining. I even heard, as of this morning, that Mr. Dennis Bevington, our MP, shaved his 40-year-old mustache off in support of the Movember campaign.
The last person I need to say is maybe we should encourage Mr. Bromley, who’s got his Back to the Future beard here, and with a little political pressure, maybe we can get him to join in on the fun of the campaign.
Not everyone will be able to make it down to The Cellar this evening. With that, I’d say please contact myself, Mr. Dolynny, or even Mr. Moses if you want to know more. Furthermore, if you need to know even more, go to Movember.com and I’m sure it will lead you in the right direction.
The last thing I want to say is the intent of this year’s campaign was to make an NWT-wide team. As such, feel free, everyone from the Northwest Territories, to join Team Primo here and we will do it together in men’s health. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
