Barking Space

We’re now at day 15 of Movember — the halfway point — and it’s already been an incredible campaign.
Thanks to so many generous donors, we’ve passed the $12K mark, which also means we’ve officially crossed $100K raised lifetime. Absolutely amazing.

I’ve been asked a few times how I run my Movember campaigns. I’m sure I’ve talked about it before (so apologies if this sounds familiar), but it’s worth sharing again.

Yes, I use photography and humour on social media to get attention — but the real “secret sauce” is simply reaching out to people every day. Last year, 242 people donated to my campaign. For every person who donated, I probably reached out to three to five others. On breaks and at lunch, I send personal messages (yup, all individually typed) asking people to support Movember.

Reaching out this way is a genuine chance to catch up and check in on people. Some really meaningful conversations have come out of this yearly ritual, and that’s a big part of what Movember is all about. My new Mo Bro friend Michael said it well in his Week 1 post: one of the best things we can do is support our friends. He highlighted the ALEC method:

• Ask
• Listen
• Encourage Action
• Check In

The simple act of taking an interest in someone else can make a huge difference — and it’s good for both sides.

We all know examples of men who keep medical or mental health issues to themselves instead of seeking help. Honestly, men can be especially vulnerable here because of old social expectations we’re still trying to dismantle. The whole “real men don’t cry” thing has probably stopped countless men from getting help for conditions that are scary, confusing, or embarrassing.

Movember’s Real Face of Men’s Health Report (June 2025), based on a survey of over 3,000 Canadians, found some important — and alarming — stats:

• 44% of Canadian men will die before age 75 from largely preventable causes
• In 2023, poor men’s health cost Canada an estimated $12.4 billion
• 1 in 10 men delay seeking health care for more than two years

These findings underline why this movement matters. Movember isn’t just about awareness — the money you donate goes directly into real research, real programs, and real support that helps save lives. They focus on mental health, prevention, early detection, and ensuring equity in the communities that need it most.

So thank you — truly — for helping me get this far and for supporting such an important cause.

And if you haven’t donated yet but would like to, you can do so here.

Filed under: Announcements, Convos, Friends, General Dialogue, Movember | Tagged: anxiety, Brother, Cancer, depression, Friend, Friends, Health, Life, Love, Memorial, Men's Health, Men's Mental Health, Mental Health, Movember, movember 2025, Prostate Cancer, Remembrance, suicide prevention, testicular cancer |