I've known about Movember for around 7 years. I can't tell you why it has taken me so long to get involved.

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health, with a special focus on, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.

In my freshman year of college, a dormmate a few doors down from me tried to kill herself by overdosing on medication. Fortunately, I was able to realize that something wasn't right and found her in time to contact EMS.

That experience prompted me to embark on a journey where, for the rest of college, I focused heavily on suicide prevention. What I soon discovered was that despite my initial experience, for a myriad of reasons, men were at a far greater risk of suicide than women.

While people often like to point out that suicide is the second leading cause of death in young men (because young people don't generally die of natural causes) it is actually men of middle age who are at the greatest risk. It is easy to ignore the signs of suicide because it is hard to imagine the manly figures we love and admire - our fathers, uncles, and grandpas - struggling with a mental crisis.

Awareness is our greatest tool for preventing suicide. Likewise, it is our greatest tool for preventing testicular and prostate cancer.

I'm very grateful for everything Movember has done since its inception and I'm proud to be a part of it this year!