Cancer Awareness

Men will be growing out their mustaches during November in an event the benefits the fight against prostate cancer.

By Laura Latzko

Men growing mustaches in November for prostate cancer awareness

To advocate for increased awareness of prostate cancer, David Garcia and other local men will join more than a million men worldwide in growing a mustache in November.

Known as "Mo Bros," men who are a part of the Movember Foundation campaign are required to shave off their mustaches at the beginning of November and grow out their mustaches for a month. Funds raised through their Movember.com pages and benefits go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Livestrong.

Garcia created the Mustache Ride parties and he said that in the past year the events have raised between $3,000 and $4,000 for prostate cancer research. He will be participating in Movember for the second year.

Team Mo to Love, an Arizona Movember team, will participate in the event for the third year. Chrissy Harvey, a "mo sista" in the group, said the group has grown to more than 50 members.

Harvey said she's invested in educating others about prostate cancer because her great uncle had the disease.

"We are telling people about men's health, which is understated and not publicized," Harvey said. "A lot of it has to do with the male mentality. They don't talk about it."

In Arizona, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. A report by the Arizona Department of Health Services found that 3,951 men in Arizona were diagnosed with prostate cancer annually.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include pain in the lower back or hip areas, urination problems, blood in the semen or urine and impotence.

Wayne Tormala, men's health coordinator for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said men don't always know they have prostate cancer because it often doesn't show symptoms until it progresses. He said that some men don't seek medical attention even when symptoms are present.

He said that it is important for men 40 and older and those with a family history of prostate cancer to get regular prostate exams because the cancer is treatable if caught early.

Lisa Potter, spokeswoman for the U.S. Movember Foundation campaign, said that Movember started in 2003 with four friends in Melbourne, Australia, growing mustaches for a month for fun. When they garnered attention for their mustaches, they thought up the idea of growing mustaches for a good cause.

A two-year anniversary Mustache Ride party on Nov. 22 at Ice Pics Video Bar will include entertainment from drag performer Pandora DeStrange and Pyrrha from the Scandalesque burlesque troupe. -E