By Kristin Burns
Reporter
Baylor’s Interfraternity Council is turning “No Shave November” into an opportunity to increase awareness about men’s health.
The IFC is hosting a No Shave November contest for any Baylor male to enter to raise money for the Movember Foundation.
The Movember Foundation began in 2003 in Australia as a way to raise awareness about men’s health.
“With No Shave November, there’s an idea that you don’t shave,” said Erica Urban, graduate apprentice for Greek life. “A lot of men’s health groups have decided to use it as a platform for men’s health awareness.
We’re partnering with Movember. Their main focus is not only men’s health awareness, but general health, mental health, and testicular and prostrate cancer.”
To compete, organizations such as fraternities and sports teams can sign up on Movember.com as a group, and ask friends and families to donate on their behalf as they spend all month growing facial hair.
Individuals can also compete in the competition to win individual prizes.
“Everyone that signs up is working directly through us,” said Houston junior Howard Chang, a member of the IFC executive board. “It’s really cool how involved you can get through this, and how much good we can do now that we have this relationship with Movember.”
The most money combined with the most “likes” on the IFC Facebook page will determine what group wins.
“What we’re doing with IFC is we’re pitting all the fraternities and everybody alike against each other in competition,” said Waco junior Garner Millard, another member of IFC’s executive board. “You win by getting your team on the Movember site and raising the most money on the site. We’re also going to have a booth set up and people can come by and drop money. They can win by that too.”
This past year, the IFC at the University of Texas participated and raised $23,000, but Baylor’s goal is to beat that amount.
On Nov. 20, IFC will have a profit share with Vitek’s BBQ. The restaurant will donate a percentage of earnings that evening to Movember if the customer tells the cashier that they are with Baylor IFC.
“The second week, they’re doing IFC night at the SLC,” Urban said. “They’re encouraging fraternity men to use the facilities at the SLC, and they’ll have some tables with education about men’s health.”
IFC is giving 100 percent of profits to Movember, Chang said.
Not only is “No Shave November” for a good cause, but it’s also something that guys enjoy doing, Millard said.
“I started growing a mustache two weeks ago,” he said. “Everywhere I went, I started noticing other men’s mustaches. I would get this little head nod from them. It’s an unwritten respect between two men with mustaches.”
On Dec. 1, there will be a closing event to celebrate the winners who raised the most money during the “No Shave” competition at the Baylor basketball game, Millard said.
IFC will also have a table in the Bill Daniels Student Center from Nov. 13 to Nov. 19 where people can drop money for their “favorite facial hair,” Millard said.
“It’s just a fun thing,” he said. “How many times can you say that growing a mustache is beneficial to something? It’s a great excuse.”
https://us.movember.com/mospace/network/view/id/31533
https://us.movember.com/?home
https://www.facebook.com/BaylorIFC
