Dozens of men are wandering around Jasper with scruffy lip foliage this month.
Although many, if not most, acknowledge it’s not the most flattering of looks, they’re keeping their untamed whiskers intact, at least until Nov. 30.
The reason is simple: they’re participating in the Movember campaign to raise awareness about prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men’s mental health.
The cause is one that hits home for Pierre Frigon, the sales manager at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre. Last December, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It was discovered during his annual check up.
“A lot of men don’t do those, no matter what age [they are],” said Frigon of routine doctor visits. “But then, by the time they do it, it’s too late—you’re behind the eight ball; you’re trying to fix it and you’re having to go through big treatments, whether it’s chemotherapy or radiation, and at that point it’s impacting your life and your lifestyle.”
Frigon’s cancer was diagnosed early, and all it took was a quick blood test to show that his prostate-specific antigens (PSAs) were unusually high, and by March, he was in the hospital undergoing surgery.
Eight months later, his PSAs have decreased to normal levels and he’s growing a ‘stache to encourage guys of all ages to man-up and visit the doctor.
And beyond that, he and the Sawridge staff have organized a number of Movember events throughout the month, all of which will culminate on Nov. 30.
That evening, the hotel will host a gala event, with a live and silent auction, as well as entertainment. Local empowerment coach Jodie Rogers will be addressing the crowd, putting her own spin on men’s brains, especially when it comes to their health, and later a comedian will take the stage to lighten things up.
There will also be a meal prepared by the culinary team from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).
One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the auctions will go to Movember Canada, as will 50 per cent of the ticket sales.
“The No. 1 aim is to bring awareness,” said Frigon of the event. “In this day and age, no man should die of prostate cancer anymore—the tools, the research, the medical aspect of it, all of that is there to ensure that it can be caught early and dealt with so you can live a long life.
“But, sadly most men don’t take kindly to regular checkups and the likes.
“Hopefully we’ll bring down the taboos, the barriers and the fears.”
With that goal in mind, more than a dozen staff members at the Sawridge have joined the hotel’s Movember team to raise funds and grow moustaches for the month, and the Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade has also jumped on board, creating their own team.
Nic Bazin, a member of the Sawridge team, said he’s thrilled to have the fire department on board.
“We have amazing support from the ‘real men in town,’” he said with a laugh.
Between the two teams, Jasper has already raised more than $2,000, and Frigon said he hopes to raise a whole lot more on Nov. 30.
Tickets for the Sawridge Movember Gala are on sale at the hotel’s front desk.
If you can’t make it out on Nov. 30, but you still want to contribute to the cause, Champs is selling mojitos and Mo-Beers brewed by the Jasper Brewing Company, with $3 from each beverage going straight to Movember. Donations can also be made directly to the Sawridge and fire brigade teams by visiting www.movember.com and searching either “Sawridge 2014” or “Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade.”
Nicole Veerman
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