It’s time for Bermuda’s men to get growing: ‘Movember’ is almost at hand and with it, the chance to take a stand for men’s health awareness.A worldwide movement, Movember means getting a clean shave at the start of November, and cultivating the moustache of your choice right through to the month’s end, sponsored along the way by friends, family and colleagues.The cause is an important one, and this year Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre (BCHC) is teaming up with the Bermuda Diabetes Association and the Bermuda Heart Foundation to raise the banner of men’s health.“Moustache season is now open,” declared BCHC marketing coordinator Deborah Titterton Narraway.The charity, which last year raised $68,000, has set an $80,000 bar for this year’s event, with the support of the international Movember Foundation. We are finding that men’s health is something more people are talking about,” Ms Titterton Narraway said. “People are more active, and we think more people are willing to give their support to it.“For us, it’s the start of a long educational campaign that’s going for the rest of this year. Men’s health is about much more than prostate cancer. We’ll be encouraging men to get checked for that, but heart disease and diabetes are also serious issues.”A few good men and, in Warwick Academy’s case, 13 members of staff have already signed on through BCHC’s website.The procedure is simple: enlist online with the BCHC, have a digital image of yourself ready to post, and give some information about why you’re raising money. Set a target and then encourage everyone you know to visit your page and sign on as a donor.All it takes from there is to grow what nature gave you, in the style of your choice. The BCHC has teamed with the Robin Hood Pub for this year’s fundraising. Staff from the Cutting Room will be on hand on Tuesday at 5.30pm, for the “shave-off” and event launch party.The money raised will go toward promoting men’s health and, in particular, funding men’s medical checkups in the coming year.“We’re aware of men out there with no health insurance and who just aren’t seeing their doctors with any regularity,” Ms Titterton Narraway said. “We’re planning to team up with the other charities and get an open clinic at the Centre in the New Year, with physicians on hand, to give a range of general health screenings.”Movember will end with a finale at Robin Hood, with such prizes as Best Mo and, for whoever manages to grow the worst moustache, the dubious honour of Lame Mo.Once again, staff at The Royal Gazette are volunteering in support of the cause. “Having seen a number of my contemporaries grow some rather dubious looking facial hair for a good cause over the years, I felt that it was probably about time for me to do my bit,” explained business reporter Alex Wright. “Thankfully I don’t know anyone personally who has been affected by men’s health issues, but it is certainly something that you need to be aware of and should be promoted more in the community.”A newcomer to the moustache, Mr Wright said he has no idea how his wife will receive the ‘stache, but chalked it off to “an interesting experiment to see how much of a moustache I can grow in one month”.Men, he said, tend to neglect their own health when it should be a top priority.“Everyone’s different. Some people are hypochondriacs and others like to avoid the issue altogether, when really they should be aiming for a happy medium somewhere in between.”Another staff member said he had been inspired by women who raised money for mammograms. “If I can raise money for even one person to get checked up, I’ll be happy,” he said. “My wife doesn’t like it if it gets too messy. I’m thinking I’ll grow the Charlie Chaplin style, but we’ll have to see. I’m just going to let it grow.”Useful websites: www.cancer.bm, www.movember.com.