Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today marks the first day of Movember and its annual month-long event involving the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces during the month of November. In Canada and around the world, men with their mos – in other words, moustaches – raise awareness for prostate cancer and male mental health initiatives.
I stand before you today a clean-shaven man. I have registered at Movember.com on my iPhone app and I encourage all my mo-bros and my mo-sistas, like mo-sista Bisaro and mo-sista Groenewegen, and all my mo-supporters throughout the NWT to do the same. Let’s raise awareness and funds for our mo-growing efforts.
Social media is playing a huge factor again this year locally and around Yellowknife. People like Eli Purchase have created a Facebook group you can join. You don’t have to go far to see how much this phenomenon will affect everyone around us.
As I indicated, this is a global movement and since its humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, in 2004, Movember has grown to more than 1.9 million mo-supporters. In the end, no matter which country or city, Movember continues to change the habits and attitudes men have about their health. It helps educate men about their health risk, all the while increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.
Movember raised $125.7 million globally in the 2011 campaign, with an increase of $48.9 million over the prior year. Canada raised $41.9 million alone, which placed our country as the largest contributor of any nation. Administration costs to fund this campaign are at 8 percent globally and 5.9 percent in Canada of raised monies, which are both well below international standards of fundraising.
Campaigns like this clearly help take big steps forward in changing attitudes by sparking conversation, all via the moustache, and having an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. Mr. Speaker, colleagues here in the House, and NWT residents abroad, I want to wish everyone a very “stache-tastic” Movember.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
