The Royal McKinnon Mustache Brigade raised over $1,000 for Movember!
Holy crap! We did it!!! My Movember team raised $1055.00 for men's cancers by growing kick ass mustaches! Thanks to the fifteen awesome people who joined my team, and to the over two dozen people that donated money to our cause! Together we truly will change the face of men's health.
This is something I've wanted to do for over six months now. I remember hearing about Movember last year, thanks to my childhood friend Erica Kwizak who had a team of her own, but it seemed too late for me to join in the fun. A few months later, however, a thought occurred to me... After giving myself a very uncomfortable breast exam, I tweeted the following:
I got so many @replies that night and a bunch of guys asking me if they really should check their balls! It seems many of my followers didn't realize they were in the perfect at risk age group for Testicular Cancer and didn't know they should check themselves. This troubled me... and I felt I needed to raise awareness.
So here we are almost seven months later! Lots of money raised... and hopefully my followers are a little more informed. If not, here are a few links: Testicular Cancer and how to perform a self-examination (for ages 15-40); Prostate Cancer guide (for age 40+); some general cancer facts for men. But seriously, I care about your health... so please see a doctor regularly. I know it's tough when you don't have health insurance or you get busy with work, but nothing should be more important to you than staying alive! I mean, seriously... if you're not around, who would I tweet to? ;)
But don't let me get you too down... if you catch it early enough, you can have a pretty happy ending like this guy: Cancer survivor to become a father... with sperm he had frozen 16 YEARS ago. [Single tear]
And now... my awesome boys and their epic 'staches that helped raise the big bucks!!! <3
And, lastly, thanks to my friends and fans who donated to the cause. I don't know everyone who donated, but here are a few of you: Kevin Wong; Sean Percival (@percival); Tony & Kara Moore (@tonymoore & @artsaleskara); Lorelei Bunjes (@curiopraxis); Pelle Eklund (@eklund); John Fillers (@fee501st); Scott Sigler (@scottsigler); Boris Kievsky (@boriser); John "Halcyon" Styn (@halcyon); Liz Miller (@lizlet); Tara Platt (@taraplatt); Tara "Tiger" Brown (@tara); Erik Smith (@ebrown2112); Steven Craft; Lucas Rupnik (@lucasrupnik); Jose Cartin; and Jeff Elwell (@dangershoes). [If I missed anyone, let me know.]
And, of course, it's not too late to donate! Go here, or donate directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong.