Source : Perth Now news
It is the time of year where men across the world embrace lip-tickling facial hair in the name of a hugely important cause.
But how in a country where Ned Flanders-style soup strainers are seldom out of fashion can the Movember campaign truly stand out?
How about a 180m-wide moustache that can be seen from out of space for a start?
This year’s Movember campaign, which encourages men to grow moustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issue, has been launched in emphatic fashion.
With many Aussies embracing facial hair all year round, this year Australia itself has grown a moustache of its own.
Dubbed the Big Red Mo, the giant moustache has been shaved out of airstrip on Mt Gibbs Station in the remote NSW mining town of Broken Hill.
Measuring a staggering 180m wide, it is believed to be the first ever moustache to be visible from outer space.
And campaigners are urging the team at the International Space Station to prove this theory by capturing the new landmark.
“We’ve created the Big Red Mo as an SOS for men’s health, using the vast Australian outback to draw attention to a global crisis,” Nathan Appo, global board director of Movember said.
“With suicide rates twice as high in regional and remote areas, it is an opportunity to shine a light on the barriers men in these communities can face accessing support – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.”
Big Mo ‘Kind of like the Bat signal’
Aussie comedian Luke McGregor is among those supporting this year’s campaign and visited the Big Red Mo this week.
He said he was growing a moustache to make himself “look more trustworthy” – but crucially that he wanted to raise awareness.
“We decided to grow the Big Red Mo because it is kind of like the Bat signal – although it isn’t a light and doesn’t go up in the sky,” he said.
“But if you reversed the Bat signal and put it in the dirt, that is why we did it.
“We hope it is visible from space and nothing raises awareness like something that can be seen from space – although none of us are tall enough to see it.”
Urging the ISS to join in the campaign and photograph the Big Red Mo, he revealed an extra motive to showcase the moustache in all its glory.
“We don’t know anyone with a big enough ladder to photograph it and while drones are cool, they don’t capture the whole Earth,” he said.
“I’ve also got a cousin who is a flat Earther, so if you can get a photo of this, the Earth and the mo, not only can we raise awareness I can show him and say “see, it’s round, pal.”
How Movember launched in Australia and grew globally
What began as a simple idea between two mates in Melbourne has now developed a global legacy.
Movember started in 2003, when mates Travis Garone and Luke Slattery concocted the idea together.
That year, 30 men accepted the challenge to grow a moustache for $10 each.
Following the inaugural year, the trend grew and grew, with the official Movember Foundation established in 2006.
Just like follicles north of the lip, the movement continues to grow and launched across the globe.
Since its launched, the organisation has raised more than $1.8bn across 20 countries, funding thousands of projects focused on men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
As well as emblazoning a tash on the Australian outback, this year Movember is once again launching its Shavedown campaign.
Participants are urged to shave clean on the first of the month and sign up for their own ‘Mo Space’, where they can update their moustache’s progress, accept donations and provoke conversation about men’s health.
To sign up, visit the official Movember website.
