If you’ve been a reader for at least a year, than you already know about Movember.   It’s the month formerly known as November, and a time dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health.  David “Mister Invisible” Cole and I were a two-man Movember Team last year (The Moustache Philosopher’s Union) and this year we’ve recruited some new teammates and we’re doing it again (marking David’s 4th and my 3rd year as “Mo Bros”).  We will be donating our upper lips to the cause for 30 days, growing a ‘stache from scratch (yes, that’s right, I had to shave my luxurious beard, a small sacrifice for a great cause).  This year we, as always, hope to raise money for a worthy cause, but there will be several new ways in which we hope to do it-including incentives for you!

Just like last year we’ll be celebrating and raising awareness here at the League of Dead Films, with the return of our Mo’ Rating System and a new feature:  profiles of some of film greats who have survived cancer.  Did I mention an incentive?  Well, here it is:  David and I will be offering a special bonus if you donate generously:  we will serenade you with the song of your choice. $50 – verse and chorus only; $100 – full song; $200+ – full song duet (Tim and Dave). Recordings will be posted on YouTube for all to enjoy.  We are serious enough about this to extend our public embarrassment beyond the visual to the aural.

Why would we do this?  Because Movember isn’t just a chance to grow goofy facial hair.  It’s a serious charity with a serious cause:

• 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women, will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
• Evidence suggests that about a third of the 571,950 cancer deaths expected to occur will be related to obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition, and thus could be prevented.
• 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.
• In 2012, 242,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed and more than 28,000 men will die of prostate cancer.
• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 35.

Please support Movember by donating.  If you can’t donate, spread the word about Movember and the campaign, and be sure to go to your doctor for a regular check up!

If you’d like to find out more about the type of work you’d be helping to fund by supporting Movember, take a look at the Programs We Fund section on the Movember website.

Thank you in advance for supporting our efforts to change the face of men’s health.

-T. A. “Professor Mortis” Gerolami