By Blake Fowler
Jets players spent the month of November growing mustaches and raising funds for a positive cause. The team raised $2,425 to go towards funding innovative men’s health research.
Team members made profiles on the Movember Foundation website and spent November growing out their facial hair. Some were better than others, but it was a fun way to raise money for a great foundation. Justin Bofshever, Matt Hanewall and Carter Ekberg raised the most money on the team.
“We all had a lot of fun growing the muzzies out. This is a great foundation and it’s awesome to see so many people supporting it. We want to thank everyone for their generous donations and support as we continue to fight for men’s health,” Bofshever said.
The Movember Foundation was started in 2003 and has funded more than 1,200 men’s health research projects since then. The foundation continues to fund projects concerning prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention all over the globe. With 20 men’s health partners, the foundation has been able to fund projects in 21 different countries.
The Movember Foundation website connects its users (also called Mo Bros and Mo Sistas), contains educational material regarding men’s health and provides opportunities for people to host fundraising events. The foundation raised $60M for men’s health research in 2016 thanks to people all over the world growing their mouth brows.
The Jets had a very successful Movember this year and couldn’t be happier. Great donations from fans helped the team go beyond even their own expectations.
“I’m really proud of how the team got together for this cause. The goal was $1,000 or around $50 per player, but we surpassed that and some guys really stepped up, like Justin and Matt,” said head coach Gary Shuchuk. “I also think the team enjoyed seeing who would have the worst and best mustaches of the month.”
The Movember fundraiser was a fantastic way for Jets players to get into the holiday spirit, even if some of the players couldn’t grow their stache as thick as they would’ve liked. With over $2,000 raised this year, the team is excited to see how much they will raise next year to help make a difference in men’s health.
To learn more about the Movember Foundation and how you can get involved, click here. To learn more about the Jets’ community involvement or to request Jets players at your community event, visit our Community Service Page.