General News
25 November, 2024
Growing a mo to help bro's
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, general sales manager: when it comes to highlighting major health issues affecting men, Movember is a veritable Noah’s Ark of supporters working shoulder to shoulder to raise both awareness and funds.
This year Wimmera Mallee News sales manager Tony Tomlins has signed on as one of the six million Mo Bros and Mo Sisters, who’ve backed Movember since it was founded in Melbourne in 2003.
For four weeks the normally clean-shaven advertising guru will carefully tend his facial hair as he encourages the Wimmera Mallee community to learn about and donate to the cause.
“Movember’s always been something I’ve wanted to participate in, and I thought this year I would,” Mr Tomlins said.
Having “gone through a lot of pain and suffering” in his own past and lost a number of friends to suicide, Mr Tomlins said he wanted to do something practical to support the campaign.
“I’m doing this to help bring awareness to men’s mental health,” he said.
“Men’s mental health – especially in country regions – is something that blokes need to be aware of. Gone are the days of burying it under a blanket.”
Mr Tomlins said, “having strong mental fortitude and a positive outlook on life” was one of his personal drivers.
“Yes, there are days that are difficult, but having a support network – for example, family and friends to talk with – helps tremendously.”
Movember started officially on November 1, and will run throughout the month.
Having been launched 21 years ago when Melbourne mates Travis Garone and Luke ‘Lucky’ Slattery recruited 30 volunteers to grow moustaches, Movember is now observed worldwide.
Its focus is on mental health and suicide prevention and testicular and prostate cancer.
“Men’s health is in crisis,” Mr Garone said.
“Men are dying on average 4.5 years earlier than women and for largely preventable reasons.
“A growing number of men – around 10.8 million globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis.
“Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men.
“And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69 per cent of all suicides.”
Mr Garone said the charity was tackling this head-on with effective engagement strategies designed to accelerate change.
Thanks to the dedication of participants such as Mr Tomlins, Movember had already supported more than 1,320 individual men’s health projects and would add to that number again this year, he said.
* To reward Tony Tomlins’ mo-growing with a donation this November, visit https://au.movember.com/mospace/15312291