By Adam Donnelly

Kamloops company helping fund men’s health initiative for Movember

Nov 10, 2017 | 3:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — For the past decade, the month of November has signalled a new growth in the space between many men’s noses and mouths. Now in its tenth year, the Movember movement has grown like a moustache, from a simple fundraising campaign, into a bigger movement focusing on Men’s Health. On Friday, CFJC Today caught up with one group in the city who are doing more than sprouting simple soup strainers, all in the name of keeping men healthy.

Like daffodils in April, there’s fresh facial foliage sprouting all over town.

After a decade, it’s official: the Movember movement is here to stay. What began with a movement to raise funds for prostate health, has now grown to encompass the bigger picture of Men’s Health.

“It started off as being about prostates and penises,” Men’s Health counsellor Jeff Conners explained. “So what [Movember] has done is a really good job of moving towards mental health and other things.”

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While fuzzy upper lips have become the norm during the month, there’s a local movement afoot with the goal of helping men who have survived cancer. Sun Life Financial has partnered with the Continental Barbershop to offer haircuts, done by Financial Centre Manager Derek Strokon, who isn’t a barber.

The cuts are by donation, and there aren’t any guarantees when it comes to quality; but if you hang in there, and keep it for the whole month, the barbershop will double your donation to the Movember cause.
 
“With November, it’s amazing to see what has changed,” Strokon said. “It started out as just support for prostate cancer, and has really broadened the scope for support of men’s mental health issues as well.”

The recipient of the funds raised this month is a program called TRUEnth, which began as a national research study conducted by the University of Calgary, and is now part of a partnership between Thompson Rivers University and the City of Kamloops meant to help improve the physical health of prostate cancer survivors.

“A lot of time, when guys go through these cancer therapies, they end up with muscle wasting, quite weak. Their bodies really do take a beating,” Jennifer Edgecombe explained.

Edgecomb is an Exercise Specialist Coordinator with the City of Kamloops and also coordinates the TRUEnth program in the city.

She says the TRUEnth program is a great way to help men who have undergone cancer treatments to take an active role in improving their health.

“One of the things the research is showing us is that prostate cancer has a very strong link with heart disease,” Edgecomb explained. “I think there’s a real opportunity here for men to make a priority of their health.”

It’s former NHL’er Steve Passmore in the barber’s chair this afternoon, getting what can only be described as a rear cranial moustache, which he plans to keep for the whole month. For Passmore, he’s happy to lend a hand… er, head with the understanding it’s all for a good cause.

“The entire office from SunLife is coming down, and we’re going to support the cause and the nice thing is we’re going to keep all the money local,” Passmore said.

If you or someone you know could benefit from the TRUEnth program, or for more information, you can contact Jennifer at the City of Kamloops by phone at (250)828-3743, or by email at jedgecomb@kamloops.ca.