Me And My Muzzie: Movember 2018

When I set out on my Movember journey I didn’t even really know if I could grow facial hair. At 26, I still only really shave once a week (as a clean up job) and so the idea of growing something substantial has always interested me. So here it was, an excuse to both raise funds for charity and push the boat (and hairs) out to see what would happen. As I learned by interviewing Jack O Connor from Movember Ireland earlier this month, the foundation has done a lot of great work since it started ten years ago.

It manages to use the novelty elements of both social media and moustaches to engage people in either their own campaigns or their friends campaigns. Having seen my friend Niall take part in the initiative last year and raise a massive sum of money, I felt it would be worth seeing just how much sponsorship money I too could grow alongside “the mo!”

Day 1: So full of hope

So as Halloween drew to a close and I ignored my friends pleas to “give yourself a head start of a few days”, I took out the razor and gave myself the closest shave I’d ever had! Now all that was left to do was wait… then nothing happened. It became apparent after about three days that my daily updates on Instagram were absolutely needless. Like a slacking gym bunny after a 30 day challenge, I was trying to use Hollywood lighting and angles to trick even myself into thinking there’d some progress!

Much like the moustache, the donations were slow at the beginning. “I wanna see more than that before I hand my money over” barked my sister in the general direction of my measly whiskers. Ten days in and I had begun to lose hope. I would shave my entire face bar the stache every two days so it would become crystal clear to everyone that I was taking part in the campaign. Maybe that way they would begin to support the cause? 

Potential Promo Poster for Movember 2019?

As I got over that two week initial slump, the hair was beginning to become thicker and to be fair the whole look was starting to “grow” on me. My girlfriend and parents didn’t seem to feel the same way though as they would quietly remind me daily that it would be fun once it was gone in December. Despite this, I began spending on average 30 seconds more looking in the mirror each day to have a quiet few words of encouragement with the moustache. By the time I was two thirds of the way through the month, for the first time in my life I felt like a real man.

The donations had really started to flow in too. Everyone loves an underdog so I think the sad reality of my increasingly pointless daily updates encouraged a few people to get behind me and the “little muzzie that could”. A big breakthrough came when my own mother bankrolled me with a massive donation. What she didn’t realise however was her accompanying comment would be publicly visible. I have two sisters by the way…

When pay day came in work, a quick email around the office made a huge difference as my colleagues at Blue Insurance (or the Blue Crew, as nobody calls us) were unbelievably generous! As the month came to a close it was time to tap up the last of my closest friends and family for those final donations. I was finding it hard to believe that my closest group of friends had left it until the final day to sponsor me. I “gently” reminded them on the 30th in the Whatsapp group that this was their last chance. They all quickly replied that they had indeed already sponsored me.

The penny dropped and it suddenly became clear that any of the unusual or surprising donations that I had received during the month had been in fact them using a different name. These different names included random neighbours, old friends, the mother of an ex girlfriend and someone who I studied abroad with over 3 years ago. They had obviously hoped that I’d write to these people who would be completely unaware of it until my getting in touch. A classic stitch up that is as mean as it was genius. Thankfully I was waiting until after the month to get in touch with all the donors to say thanks. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it ;)

Day: 23: I met Marty Whelan and he complemented me on my moustache. The last part there didn’t happen.

With all these genuine and fake donations flooding in on the final days of my journey, I was able to ignore the impending moment where I would have to say goodbye to my new little friend. My muzzie had seemingly bedded in for the winter and became almost bushy in it’s final few days. It also became clear that had I would never have the ability to grow a full beard, it would always end up being a patchy ginger/blonde mess.

Like most Movember campaigns, this was mainly just a vanity project for the person taking part. During the weeks however, I did learn that with very little effort and a fun initiative, people are willing to give a lot of their money towards a great cause. As the month came to a crescendo, I had really grown attached to my new look and held onto it for two extra days to say my heartfelt goodbyes. Before shaving it, I put a quick poll on Instagram and asked my family on Whatsapp for their honest opinions. Although Instagram was in favour of the stache, it’s safe to say my Dad will always tell me what he really thinks.

To any of those who sponsored me over the month, I really do appreciate it. I made a massive €901 and that was way more than I ever could have hoped for. If you’re looking for ways that you can help Movember Ireland in the future, visit their wesbite.

Charities In The Age Of Social Media: Movember 2018

Charities have traditionally used direct email campaigns, flyers, fundraising events and other offline ways to gain donations for their various causes. In recent years however, with the explosion in social media and particularly mobile payment systems, it’s clear that there is more opportunity to engage people with charity initiatives online. Everything from natural disaster relief campaigns to Facebook birthday fundraisers have now become a normal part of the way people do their bit to help those in need.

One particular charity campaign that has grown significantly through social media is the “Movember” campaign. At this stage, we all know someone who has gotten involved in the campaign and has helped raise some much needed funds. After carrying out some vital research, I’ve decided to get involved to raise money for the work they do. To find out more about the campaign and the way it uses social media to drive its success, I got in touch with Jack O’ Connor from Movember Ireland;

What is “Movember” and how has social media led to its success? 

Movember was started in Melbourne (2003) by 4 mates who were inspired by the breast cancer movement, and their collective fondness for moustaches, to raise awareness and stop men dying too young. When Facebook hit the internet in 2007, it connected the world in a way that was unprecedented.

I have no doubt that the dawn on this age of social media has played a significant part in the rapid growth of the Movember campaign and in 15 years we have grown over 5,000,000 moustaches, in over 23 countries around the world and invested in over 1,200 men’s health initiatives.

What important causes does it support? 

Movember is the world’s leading charity dedicated to men’s health. We want men to live happier, healthier and longer lives and we do this by highlighting the three most critical points of men’s health today; prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health & suicide prevention

How can people get involved both now and in the future? 

Go to Movember.com and sign up for the campaign - you can grow a Mo, take on the Move challenge or Host an event. I would recommend getting some friends or colleagues together and starting a “Mo team”. It’s more fun with more Mo’s and you can take the mickey out of whoever has the worst tache!

Image Via: Movember Foundation USA

How do you feel social media will change the way charities operate in the future? 

I think ultimately it will help, social media is already a powerful tool for NGO’s to communicate with their fundraisers & donors about the work they do and I think that this will only increase as time goes on. We will probably see an increase in one off temporary viral campaigns like the “Ice Bucket Challenge” too.

A big one is Facebooks fundraising platform, this has made it easier than ever before for people to fundraise for causes that are important to them and makes asking for donations very straightforward. I always encourage our MoBros & MoSistas to add a Facebook fundraiser to their MoSpace.

Image Via: Movember US

So as I set out on my own “Mo journey”, I’m filled with excitement and apprehension. I know for a fact that I won’t end up looking anything like the men above but I am excited to see just how bad my tache turns out!

I’m hoping I can raise as much money as possible over the month too so if you would like to support my efforts, you can do so on my “Mospace account”. I imagine it will all start to look something like this when December rolls around!

Image Via: Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Follow me on Instagram for daily story updates on my muzzy and keep an eye on the Movember Ireland website to find out about the other ways you can support the cause.