October has been dedicated to breast cancer awareness for more than two decades, but some feel the time has come to focus on men’s health.

Movember, the month formerly known as November, aimed to bring about prostate cancer awareness (movember.com). Rates of prostate cancer in men are comparable to breast cancer rates in women, with a man being diagnosed with the disease every 2.7 minutes. According to recent findings, men are 40 percent more likely than women to die from cancer due to the simple act of putting off doctor visits and failing to lead a proactively healthy lifestyle.

Each Movember, men are challenged to start the month clean-shaven and grow a moustache. The moustache becomes the hairy ribbon for men’s health and the guys growing them become a walking billboard for 30 days. The growth of a new moustache sparks hundreds of conversations about the seemingly taboo topics of men’s health and prostate cancer.

After becoming aware of Moustache Movember, one local resident decided it was time to bring the idea closer to home.

Jonathan Taylor has planned a grand Moustache Movember fundraiser for Friday, Dec. 3 at 3 Brothers Deli & Brewhouse, located in Murfreesboro’s historic downtown.

Beginning at 5 p.m., the event will kick off with a live jazz performance by the Matt Galloway Group, followed by Japanese Cowboys, a ’70s, ’80s and ’90s cover band. DJ Rick Ross will spin a mix of hip-hop, Top 40, progressive and dub music late into the night.

Between the eclectic music mix will be a live auction of 12 mo-donning single men, hosted by local auctioneer, Jay Cash. The highest bidding ladies and their prizes will be treated to dinners donated by Cathay Asian Bistro, Demos’, Five Senses, Maple Street Grill, Marina’s on the Square and The Parthenon.

Additionally, 3 Brothers Deli & Brewhouse has agreed to donate 20 percent of its sales from 8 p.m. to midnight to the Movember foundation.

Jonathan Taylor

“Most guys associate November with ‘No Shave November,’ but this tradition doesn’t have any ties to a charitable movement,” Taylor, an MTSU graduate, explained.

“The more I learned about Movember, the more I realized how important it was to spread the message. My father had cancer when I was younger, and most recently, my youngest brother was diagnosed with brain cancer last December. Seeing what he has had to go through this year dealing with his cancer and treatment intensely motivated me to get involved with the Movember Foundation, and getting the community involved as a whole is definitely a passion of mine.”

While most people he encounters have never heard of Movember, Taylor believes it is an excellent platform for raising awareness for prostate cancer and men’s health.

Movember began in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia, according to movember.com. The guys behind it joked about ’80s fashion and decided it was time to bring back the moustache. In order to justify their “Mo” (Aussie slang for moustache), they used their new looks to raise some awareness and money for prostate cancer research—never dreaming their efforts would lead to a global movement for men’s health.

To date, more than 627,000 Movember “Mos” have been grown to raise over $100 million to change the face of men’s health, the website brags.

“It’s hard to believe what began as a bit of a joke has turned into a global movement for men’s health. It’s humbling to see so many men and women passionately support this cause,” said Adam Garone, CEO and co-founder of Movember. “These days you can’t grow a moustache without people asking what’s going on, and that leads to amazing conversations about cancers that affect men.”

This November will mark the fourth Movember campaign in the US, which will continue to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and LIVESTRONG. In 2009, over 28,000 men grew moustaches to raise more than $3.2 million for beneficiary partners.

“I would like to thank Movember for again choosing LIVESTRONG as a beneficiary of their great work. We are grateful with their extraordinary ability to reach younger generations often overlooked in the cancer community,” said Doug Ulman, LIVESTRONG President and CEO and three-time cancer survivor. “We look forward to building upon last year’s successful Movember campaign and continuing our shared mission to make cancer a global priority.”

While only in its first year here in Rutherford County, Taylor plans to grow the Movember throughout the community at a rapid pace.

“Next year we will have events scheduled in Murfreesboro starting on November 1st, encouraging men to shave and dedicate the month to growing their moustaches to raise awareness, as well as registering on the Movember website to raise money,” Taylor said.

We will rely on local businesses, organizations, and individuals in the community to come together in order to achieve our goals. I hope that our fundraiser event on the 3rd of December can not only serve as a finale for this year, but also an early kickoff into next year.”

Those wishing to contribute to the cause can visit 3 Brothers Deli & Brewhouse or click here.