MOVEMBER

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is an annual charity event held throughout the world during November.

The Valentine Eleebana Cricket Club commenced donations to Movember in 2006.During this time it raised $200.00 towards the charity.

In 2007 the club made a donation of $1500.00 to the Movember foundation.
So how does it all begin? at the start of Movember guys must start the month with a clean shaven face. The Movember participants, known through the club as "Mo Bros", have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo, raising money along the way to benefit men's health - specifically prostate cancer and male depression.

Movember culminates at the end of the month with the official VECC Movember gala Party, where Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to be the VECC "tash" of the year.

While growing a Mo is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (ladies who support their guys or just love Mo's!) form an important part of Movember by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending the highly anticipated VECC Gala Party.

But it' s not all fun and games, so why the extreme behaviour?

Which ever way we look at it, men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy for men is five years less than for women.


The obvious question is why?

Men lack awareness about the very real health issues they face. There is an attitude that they have to be tough - "a real man" - and are reluctant to see a doctor about an illness or go for regular medical checks.

Movember aims to change these attitudes and make men's health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key men's health issues, including:

Prostate Cancer: because every year in Australia 2,900 men die of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) whose aim is to reduce the impact of prostate cancer on Australian men, their partners, their families and the community. The money raised by Movember is used by the PCFA to:

Fund research into the causes, detection, diagnosis and improved treatment of prostate cancer.

Provide information, support and counselling to those affected by prostate cancer.

Raise community awareness of the incidence of prostate cancer, thereby encouraging earlier detection and more effective treatment of the disease.

Depression in Men: because one in six men experience depression at any given time but most don't seek help. whose aim is to increase the communities awareness of depression in men and address the associated stigma of men living with depression. The money raised by Movember is used by beyond blue to achieve their five priorities:

Increased community awareness of depression, anxiety and related substance misuse disorders and addressing associated stigma.

Providing men living with depression and their carers with information on the illness and effective treatment options and promoting their needs and experiences with policy makers and healthcare service providers.

Developing depression prevention and early intervention programs.

Improving training and support for GP's and other healthcare professionals on depression.

Initiating and supporting depression-related research.

With close to 200 members in the VECC & many other family & friends how many of you have been touched by these life changing conditions

In 2008 the VECC aims to raise $2000.00 for Movember.


So how do I get started in Movember?

VECC Mo Bro's

1. It's quick and easy the club is already registered as Valentine Eleebana Cricket Club on the movember.com.au website. The club needs to recruit a team of Mo Bros (be it fathers, friends or players) by late October. Read the presidents corner in this website or have a look at the blog.

2. Start Movember 1st clean shaven then grow it, flow it, show it according to the Movember Rules

3. Each VECC is encouraged to gather DONATIONS to help fight prostate cancer and depression by encouraging their work colleagues, friends and family to donate to their Mo growing efforts. Keep in mind, many businesses match the funds raised by their employees!

4. CELEBRATE Movember at the VECC Gala Party. The best mo on the evening will be awarded the VECC"tash" of the year.

VECC Mo Sista's

Mo Sistas can show their support for Movember by:

1. Recruiting your own team of Mo Bros and Sistas,and raise some money

2. Helping your Mo Bro to raise some awareness and money for men's health


3.Attending and getting glammed for the VECC Gala Party at the end of November

4. Assisting as one of the judges for the VECC "tash" if the year.

Children can compete as well with their own take on the "tash". The most original child with tash in tow wins a prize at the gala
party, bring your tash along kids it's all for a good cause.