NOT since Ian Chappell captained Australia has a cricket team been so proud to sport a hairy top lip. Even if it’s only for one month in the year.
Ten cricketers from Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club are taking part in the men’s health fund-raiser Movember for the sixth year running.
Glenn Outten, in his sixth stint as a ‘Mo Bro’, describes the campaign as “a bit of fun for a good cause”.
“Some of us struggle to grow a mo at the best of times, myself included, so they can end up pretty terrible,” he laughs.
“But it’s all for prostate cancer, depression and it could save your life one day. In the past few years, we’ve raised anywhere between a couple of thousand to $10,000.”
The program was started by 30 or so friends at a Melbourne bar in 2003.
The following year about 450 men grew a moustache during November and raised $54,000 for men’s prostate and mental health programs. And so a global phenomenon was born. Last year’s Movember campaign raised more than $124 million through the efforts of more than 850,000 ‘Mo Bros’ across the globe.
In Australia, the national depression initiative beyondblue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation are the main beneficiaries of money raised.
According to beyondblue, one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime.
Outten says many men are reluctant to go to the doctor and even more loath to confide in friends when they’re struggling.
The cricket club will accept donations until the end of the month, with Outten urging people to “give so we can grow”.
To donate, search: ‘Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club’ at movember.com.au
