Quirky ploy to raise charity funds
By Aitor Zabalegui
Philanthropy comes in many shapes and sizes. Celebrities donate millions and become the faces of charities. Millions make more personal impacts, getting their hands dirty in impoverished countries in order to make a difference.
Here at Santa Clara, there are a group of students willing to dirty their faces for a cause.
No Shave November has always been a cult ritual practiced by those willing to sacrifice their hygiene, and the good graces of their girlfriends, in a test of determination and willpower to not shave for an entire month.
Aside from a fleeting amount of honor, the competition yields little to no reward at all. However, a group of men from Adelaide, Australia, managed to turn this yearly event into a profitable charity for men's health issues. Since 2004, Movember -- a portmanteau of the words moustache and November -- has raised over $8.5 million and has been successful in raising awareness for prostate cancer and depression among other health related issues. As the most common non-skin cancer in United States, one in six American males develop prostate cancer and 27,000 die from the disease every year.
On the other hand, people of class and importance ranging from the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein have all iconically sported moustaches.
Jayce Kaiser, a Santa Clara graduate, has started the first Movember group at Santa Clara, with various events planned throughout the titular month. Also, do not worry about not being able to participate due to gender limitations.
"Women are not excluded from this event. Mo Sistas play a big part in Movember by recruiting Mo Bros, helping raise funds, and attending the much anticipated end of Movember Mo Ball," said Kaiser.
To avoid any confusion, a Mo Bro is a male participant with a non-shaven commitment, and a Mo Sista is any female willing to show support for said males.
Movember activities begin, of course, by shaving "everything but your Mo" on November 1st.
"There will be a fundraiser event at Stuft Pizza," said Kaiser, "to raise funds for Movember while eating pizza and comparing Mo's."
The big event, however, is the aforementioned Mo-Ball, a Motown themed gala event exclusively for Mo Bros and Sistas which will feature DJ Ray J Heilz spinning classic Motown tunes. As the excitement and the hairs grow, the event will culminate in an awards ceremony, doling out prizes for the most creative moustaches.
"At my high school we had an event called the Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research. Guys and girls were chosen to be bid on, and the highest bidder got to shave one of their heads. It was fun because everyone was into it and at the same time it raised money for a good cause," said Junior Inna Asthana on Movember, hoping that this event can accomplish something similar.
"But otherwise, guys need to shave. Facial hair is not sexy," she added.
Some students have been unintentionally participating in the event for years. Matthew Yoon, a senior Electrical Engineering major, had never heard of Movember.
"It's just another reason to grow out my moustache. If I can raise awareness at the same time, I'm all for it," Yoon stated when asked if he would join the cause.
So whether or not you happen to be a fan of facial hair, guy or girl, there's no reason to deny the good intention and mild-mannered fun offered by Movember.
Contact Aitor at (408) 551-1918 or azabalegui@scu.edu.