A new crop has been sprouting over this month, and formerly clean fields can now be seen bewhiskered as numerous folks take part in a growing international trend, Movember.
Movember began as Brovember, an online phenomenon in the late 1990s, a re-naming of November to provide a month to celebrate all things manly.
Initially, as the joke went, it was a month where men were freed from the 'feminine' influence, allowing for a strengthening of bonds between 'bros.'
"Sorry guys, no poker tonight. My wife wants me to go the opera," one man might say, to which a response might be,"You serious dude? Today's the first of Brovember!"
Battle of the sexes and the tongue-in-cheek nature of Brovember's roots aside, a serious campaign did grow from what began as a joke.
Renamed Movember, and adopted by Prostate Cancer Canada as a fundraising effort, the original Movember called for men to grow moustaches, and to be sponsored to do so by friends, family, and co-workers.
The first official year that Movember was celebrated, 2007, Prostate Cancer Canada raised more than $545,000 in funds for prostate cancer research and treatment.
The following year, the news had gotten out about Movember, and more than $2.4 million was raised.
Movember has now become widely known and recognized, and has stretched beyond the simple moustache.
Now men across the globe are asked to grow their facial hair, moustache or full beard, not just as a fundraising effort, but to show support for those who have had to deal with prostate cancer.
Very much the men's pink ribbon campaign, Movember has now made many men sport facial hair where once they were clean-shaven.
My own involvement in this Movember came following a request from Stoughton resident (and old Windsor friend,) Jeff Laforet.
Asking me if I was taking part in Movember, Jeff had first caught me off guard.
Thinking hard, I recalled a mass e-mail I had received earlier in the day asking all men to grow either their beards or moustaches, or both, in support of those suffering from the effects of prostate cancer.
Recalling this, I readily agreed to forego shaving (not my favourite pastime by any) from the first until the 30th of Nov. 2010.As the first week passed, and the five o'clock shadow I was sporting began to grow long and itch.
By the second week, the itching was pretty irritating, but like many in my position, I kept in mind a loved one who I had lost to prostate cancer.
This was my uncle, David Gervais, a man who had lived an exciting life until it was cut short by prostate cancer.
"It's my first year [recognizing Movember]," said Cpl. Kelly Guider, who is responsible for drafting a large percentage of the Carlyle Detachment members into recognizing Movember. "When I first arrived here, I didn't know anything about it, but since then I've studied it a bit and I know a bit more about it."
"The members are all doing individual contributions to the Movember fund, and aren't fundraising publicly," Guider said. "I'm doing it in memory of a friend who had prostate cancer."
Guider, while unwilling to provide the name of his friend, indicated that his friend was fortunate to survive his bout with the disease.
A total of 10 members are taking part in the Movember beard growing.
For those who are interested in learning more about Movember, or would like to make a donation to help fight prostate cancer, the Prostate Cancer Canada website can be found at www.prostatecancer.ca
