MENUU-M Hockey, Health System announce Michigan Moustaches for Men's Health
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan men’s ice hockey team, in partnership with the University of Michigan Health System and the Movember Foundation, announced the second annual Michigan Moustaches for Men’s Health initiative during the month of November.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"593","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"270","style":"line-height: 1.538em; width: 480px; height: 270px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 1px; float: right;","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"480"}}]]As part of the program, the hockey team along with head coach Red Berenson and the coaching staff will grow moustaches during the month and the Nov. 29 contest against RPI will be Men's Health Night, with the goal of raising awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer.
“After the success of last year's initiative, we want to continue to leave a legacy of raising awareness for men's health issues,” said senior defenseman Mike Chiasson. “We are excited to partner with the University's health system and hope that fans will join us in "Growing Blue" in November!"
During the month, weekly updates on MGoBlue.com will include stories from Michigan players and staff on what the initiative means to them, along men's health facts provided by doctors at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and from the Movember Foundation.
"It is an honor to partner with Michigan Hockey to bring awareness of prostate cancer along with other men’s health issues to U-M fans and supporters around the country," said Ganesh Palapattu, M.D., Chief of Urologic Oncology and Associate Professor of Urology in the University of Michigan Health System. "The prevalence of prostate cancer among American men is high, with approximately 1 in 7 likely to be diagnosed in their lifetime. Men should talk with their physician about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening. The approximate 40 percent reduction in prostate cancer mortality over the past 25 years in the United States is undoubtedly due to the benefits of both screening and treatment."
Using the #GROWBlue hashtag, Michigan fans are encouraged to participate in the initiative along with the team, with messages directed to the Michigan Hockey twitter account (@umichhockey). Throughout the month, these messages will also be displayed on MGoBlue.com.
The Movember Foundation is the leading global organization committed to changing the face of men's health. They achieve this by challenging men to grow moustaches during Movember (the month formerly known as November) to spark conversation and raise funds and awareness for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.
The Movember community has raised over $550 million to date and funded over 800 programs in 21 countries, including research at the University of Michigan. This work is saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.