A great cast of male teachers at Katoomba High School assumed their best 70s movie star look last month as they grew moustaches to support the Movember cause.
Movember, a movement which started several years ago, encourages men to grow a mo to raise awareness and money to support a variety of male health issues, including mental health and suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Tom Daniels, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education teacher at the school, said the teachers rallied round in an effort to help the young students, particularly the boys.
“It’s a fundraising event for Movember. We had a target of $3,000 and we’ve hit the target, which is great.
“But it’s also more about the conversation for us, it’s more about mental health awareness in young people.
“The message is, it’s OK to be not OK. If you’re not OK, tell someone, don’t hold on to it yourself. Look after each other.”
It wasn’t only the teachers involved, he said.
“At least 50 boys have tried to grow moustaches” – some with more success than others. Mr Daniels himself, with just the faintest of blond hairs on his upper lip, said he decided to grow a mohawk hairstyle instead.
Year 11 student Sean McLachlan, school vice-captain, said: “As a young male student it’s obviously about raising awareness because there’s a great stigma about mental health.
“Movember is a great way of extending support to all the young men who can be afraid to speak up about mental health.”
Many students got behind the cause, including at a Movember breakfast, with a gold coin donation for a sausage sandwich.
Principal Jenny Boyall said: “At Katoomba High we are very committed to supporting the mental health of young people. Movember is an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of young men seeking help and support if they are not feeling OK.”
Movember was started in 2003 by two Melbourne mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery. Inspired by a friend who was fundraising for breast cancer, they decided to make the campaign about men’s health.