Students at Nipissing University raised money and awareness for men’s health as part of their Movember campaign.
Movember focuses on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.
The Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU), in conjunction with Nipissing University Lakers Men’s Volleyball Team, collectively raised $2,855.
“This year marks our fifth year teaming up with NUSU for the Movember campaign,” said Eric Ellison, Lakers Men’s Volleyball Team. “It is fun to see everyone grow moustaches, some better than others, but this cause continues to hit close to home for our men’s volleyball team, and we are excited by the prospect of continuing the conversation around men’s health.”
According to Movember Canada, 3 out of 4 suicides are men, 1 in 9 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and testicular cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men aged 15 to 35.
“We are so grateful to be able to raise money and awareness and help create a dialogue to challenge the way that men treat their bodies and minds for the better,” said Daniel Miller, Lakers Men’s Volleyball Team Assistant Coach.
November also saw the first annual event of a men’s mental health forum, MENtal Strength, which was created by Deven Doodnath, a Nipissing University student and member of the men’s soccer team.
“We are so proud of our students for their continued work in creating or supporting initiatives that bring about positive change for mental health, specifically for men,” said Sarah Pecoskie-Schweir, NUSU VP Advocacy & Awareness. “We want to make a difference, even if it is just one person’s life.”
Some other important statistics from Movember Canada include:
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Canadian Indigenous men have a suicide rate that is double that of the Canadian national average
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Inuit men are 11 times the national suicide rate average
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1 in 250 males will get testicular cancer in their lifetime
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Globally, on average, 1 man dies by suicide every minute of every day
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Men with Down Syndrome have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer
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Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men globally
Donations are still being accepted. To make a donation to the NUSU Movember Team please go to https://moteam.co/nusu.
