by Evan Matthews | [email protected]
Jasper鈥檚 local fire department is helping to 鈥淐hange the face of men鈥檚 health,鈥� and they鈥檙e asking for your help to do it.
Taking part in Movember 2017, the men are all growing moustaches to raise awareness surrounding men鈥檚 health issues such as depression in men, prostate cancer and other male cancers, according to fire chief Greg Van Tighem.
鈥淭he Movember Foundation is saving and improving men鈥檚 lives through projects focused on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention,鈥� says Van Tighem.
鈥淢en are dying too young, so we鈥檙e asking the community to help the JVFB team make a difference by supporting us.鈥�
Movember is the only charity tackling men鈥檚 health on a global scale, year-round, according to its website.
By encouraging men 鈥� whom the charity refers to as 鈥淢o Bros鈥� 鈥� to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths, according to its website. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
鈥淢ovember is a great opportunity to fundraise against cancer, which is killing thousands of people each day,鈥� says firefighter Emanuele Bulfon. 鈥淪adly, I know many people who have cancer or have died because of it. Every little bit helps to try and find a cure for this devastating illness.鈥�
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, according to the Movember website, and rates are on consistently the rise. By 2030, experts estimate there will be 1.7 million men living with prostate cancer worldwide.
Because Movember is independent of government funding, Movember organizers say the organization can challenge the status quo and invest quicker to find and fund innovative men鈥檚 health research and projects, projects the organization believes will work. Movember says it has funded more than 1,200 men鈥檚 health projects around the world.
To donate, visit movember.com and search 鈥淛asper Volunteer Fire Brigade.鈥�
The Jasper firefighters will host a Movember fundraiser at Montana鈥檚 on Dec. 3 at 5 p.m., and are inviting the public to bring out the whole family. The firefighters will continue fundraising until Dec. 20.
