November 7, 2022 | Alberta

It’s that time of year again. The weather is becoming colder, the leaves are falling off trees, and men are growing their moustaches. The trend known as Movember started back in 1999 by a group of friends in Adelaide to see who could grow the best moustache during the month of November.

Initially, the idea wasn’t about charity, though they did sell shirt “Growing Whiskers for Whiskers” that raised money for the RSPCA. It was mostly about having fun, but in 2004 the idea gained traction to raise awareness for men’s health issues, and the Movember Foundation was born.

Since then, the foundation has raised more than $174 million worldwide, and brought awareness to issues that are often overlooked by men, including prostate and testicular cancer, depression, and suicide.

Changing the Dialogue

This year, Keith Winters, the National Admissions Trainer for CDI College online, put out a challenge to the admissions team to help raise funds for the foundation. He sees the Movember Foundation as an important organization in helping to bring awareness to the issues men face and help to change the dialogue around mental health and cancer.

Like many men, Keith is no stranger to depression and understands that men are traditionally raised to be the strong silent type and often told to “take it like a man” when it comes to mental health or cancer. This has led many men to avoid seeking treatment, especially for mental health issues, and it’s led to an epidemic with thousands of men committing suicide each year.

Keith finds this especially true as we enter the winter months in Canada. With the weather becoming colder, the nights becoming longer and many people working longer hours it’s the time of year when people face isolation, seasonal depression and burnout.

Keith’s Goal

For Keith, he saw in the foundation more than just a way to open a dialogue, but a great resource. One of the first things the foundation suggests when it comes to helping with mental health issues is finding someone to talk to, and they do just that. Through their website and local chapters across the country , they can help men connect with Doctors and support groups where they can open up and talk with professionals or other men who may have similar experiences.

Currently, Keith’s moustache is just starting to come in, and he hopes to raise $1000 for the Movember Foundation. CDI College wants to take it a step further and support Keith in raising donations and awareness for this amazing foundation.

CDI College is asking their community to help Keith and will be matching donations up to $1000 made to the CDI College Online Movember Team which can be found here. Let’s make this a Movember to Remember!