Welcome back to The Sunstone Way, and welcome to No-Shave November.
Or maybe you prefer Movember. There is a difference, as I’ll explain, but the underlying cause is the same – raising awareness and money to end cancer, particularly among men.
They’re also foundations for building community to fight for a cause.
Focus on Men
November is designated Prostate Cancer Awareness Month – the second-most common cancer suffered by men (skin cancer is number one). According to the Movember website, one in eight men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their life.
Prostate cancer, like many cancers today, can be and often is cured. But like so many problems, cancer can’t be fixed unless you know it’s there. Multiple studies have shown that men are much less likely to seek medical care, according to Primary Health Network.
And that’s when they are sick or hurting. Going to a doctor when “nothing’s wrong” is unfortunately rare.
Why Facial Hair?
What’s the deal with growing a mustache or beard, anyway? Fair question.
I just said that men don’t like to talk about health. But make a facial change like growing a mustache, and that’s enough to start a conversation. It might seem hard to take the leap from “why the mustache?” to “get a prostate exam,” but it’s easier than you think.
The hair thing is symbolic. It means standing in solidarity with those losing their hair during chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Others shave their heads. It’s all about support.
Besides, for many, it’s an excuse to grow a beard and/or mustache for a while!
Movember Down Under
More than 25 years ago, two friends met in a pub in Melbourne, Australia… No, this isn’t one of my dad jokes! Travis Garone and Luke Slattery liked mustaches, wanted to make them popular again, and convinced a bunch of friends to grow mustaches for 30 days after that pub afternoon.
By November 2024, the pair had partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The rest, as they say, is history – with the tagline “changing the face of men’s health.” (Mo is slang for mustache, so Movember.)
The Movember Foundation expanded to eventually become a global movement, and to deal with four men’s health issues – prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. If anything, talking about mental health is even harder for men than talking about their physical health.
Over the last 20 years, the Movember Foundation has raised $837 million and funded more than 1,320 men’s health projects. Not bad for an afternoon at the pub!
What About Beards?
It seems fitting that a more inclusive facial hair movement would begin in America. In 2009, the Hill family of Chicago founded the No-Shave November campaign to honor their father, Matthew Hill, who had died of colon cancer. This campaign focuses broadly on cancer awareness and prevention, particularly in regard to “male cancers” including prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer.
Rather than focusing on the fashionable mustache, No-Shave November means exactly that – no shaving, haircuts or other hair maintenance. Then you’re supposed to donate the money you would spend on such things to cancer research organizations. The chosen groups are Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
And talking about being inclusive, No-Shave November welcomes women to forego shaving their legs and armpits for the month. Or maybe they could just donate a little money.
Hairy Communities
I have personal connections to this fight against cancer that I don’t need to get into here. But I am thrilled with the example these drives set. People are coming together to make their community a better place.
In this case, it’s a community bound together by the fight against cancer. There are many such movements – just last weekend almost 100 Sunstone and American Lending Center team members walked in the annual City of Hope Walk for Hope against cancer.
In a world that can seem fractured at times, such fantastic partnerships to better our communities are more important than ever.
It is, after all, the Sunstone Way!
And remember, always be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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