The TED staff was inspired by Adam Garone of the Movember movement to spend this month raising money for men’s health. And so, if you walk into our office at the moment, you will see many a moustache. Twenty of our staff members are growing moustaches, while five Mo Sisters have signed up to support them in their fundraising. So far, the group has collected $4,700 through a bake sale and office raffle.

But you want to see the ‘staches, right? After the jump, the three leading fundraisers share photos and their favorite moustache moment of the month so far.

“I’m not sure about a favorite moment per se, but every time I see someone else with a moustache, I feel like there’s this hidden, yet acknowledged, connection between us. Like, if a fight broke out, we’d automatically team up against everyone else and take down all of our hairless opponents. Maybe this is why revolutionaries always have moustaches.” —Alex Rudloff, Chief Digital Strategist for TEDx

“My best moustache moment will be … probably five minutes after I shave it off. Unless, of course, I’m mistaken for Freddie Mercury or Magnum P.I. In that case, my favorite mustachioed moment will be when I was mistaken for Freddie Mercury or Magnum P.I.” —Bedrihan Cinar, TED-Ed Web Specialist

“Eclipsing Bedirhan for third place on TED’s team leaderboard has been my best moment. The grail? Throwing Alex Rudloff off the board entirely. Charity is grand because it allows my fiercely competitive, lioness-like nature to be used for the greater good. Also, I’ve loved noshing everyone’s bake sale treats.” —Emilie Soffe, Office Coordinator

>
Visit the TED Movember team page >> 

Most charities begin with a cause. That is not, however, the case for Movember, the global non-profit that asks men to grow moustaches for the month of November and, in the process, raise awareness for men’s health.

As Movember co-founder Adam Garone explained at TEDxToronto, his charity began with a random idea in a bar in 2003: could the moustache be made cool again? Because a  moustache is referred to as a “mo” in his native Australia, Garone and his brother decided to turn November into “Movember,” asking a group of 30 male friends to grow moustaches for the month.

Making it an annual tradition, the next year Garone decided to take inspiration from women’s groups that fundraise for breast cancer research. He approached the Prostate Cancer Foundation about forging a partnership. And while he was initially laughed out of a meeting, that year Movember donated $54,000 to the organization — its biggest gift ever. Garone recognized that Movember had big potential to bring attention to the under-discussed cause of men’s health.

“Every morning, I wake up and go, ‘My life is about a moustache,’” jokes Garone in this talk. “Essentially, I’m a moustache farmer and my season is November.”

To hear more about how Movember transformed from a fringe event to a worldwide movement that donated $126 million to men’s health organizations last year, watch Garone’s talk. And after the jump, read about how the TED staff is taking up the Movember cause.

This year, many TED staffers will be growing out moustaches, with the rest of the office supporting them, both financially and in spirit. Below, TED’s Jordan Reeves explains:

“It’s Movember! That’s right! You read it correctly. Movember. As their website explains, ‘During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.’

This year, TED is participating in this incredibly ambitious and invaluable fundraiser. We’ll be doing fun things — a month long bake sale, a raffle, an election night party, a bingo night, and a series of giveaways for people who participate — and we hope to raise $5,000. While I don’t think that men’s health necessarily gets overlooked, I do think it’s not as prevalent in the world of fundraising. This is such an incredibly creative initiative  – a good cause done in a fun way. Stay tuned to our TEDnews Instagram and our Movember team page for progress on our Mo’s. Here are a few of our before images.”