If you’ve been a reader for the last few years, 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 leads the team I’ve belonged to for four years (The Moustache Philosopher’s Union) and we’re doing it again.  We’ve donated our upper lips (and in my case, my whole face, since every year I shave off my luxurious beard and remind myself what a pain shaving every day is) to the cause for the last 19 days and will keep going for 11 more, growing a ‘stache from scratch.

In the past we’ve celebrated and raised awareness here at the League of Dead Films, with the Mo’ Rating System and profiles of some of film greats who have survived cancer.  Last year David and I offered a special bonus for generous donations:  we sand the song of your choice. This year I’m doing a different twist-instead of just any song, make it the theme song or song heavily identified with a movie.  A $50 donation gets you a verse and chorus only; for  $100 I will attempt to make lyrics for an instrumental (no promise of quality folks). Recordings will be posted on YouTube for all to enjoy-you can see the results of last year on the League of Dead Films YouTube Page.  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