In Melbourne, FL (fitting as Movember began in Melbourne, Australia) this duo used the Movember movement as a way to give back to their community. Anil, a radiation oncologist, is very involved in the cancer charities near Melbourne and noticed an indifference between men’s and women’s health fundraising. When he and Pamela learned about Movember from friends, they thought it would be a fun cause to bring to their town that would benefit men’s health.
Canvasing their neighborhood with flyers, contacting local businesses and hosting an end of the month party were some of the keys to their success in 2011. Anil would take his daughter with him downtown to put up flyers and enjoyed doing something dynamic that made him feel like he was in college again. Due to the efforts of this grassroots team, Pamela and Anil were able to organize ample support to raise over $15,000 last year.
As a young doctor in the area, Anil became a local healthcare spokesperson speaking on the importance of prostate and testicular cancer awareness and writing stories about PSA testing for local news outlets. With his wife coordinating all their efforts, Anil was able to speak about men’s health at a rotary group meeting, fire station and fraternity house, garnering press in a local music magazine and newspaper.
Anil’s patients going through the cancer journey appreciated his participation in Movember as well. Some even became inspired to participate in the cause and it encouraged many of them to be more open with their families about health issues. Last year, and again this moustache season, he is taking daily pictures of his moustache growth and hanging them in his office so his patients can see his progress.
One of Pamela’s favorite parts about Movember is that it’s not your typical charity. “We had a lot of young guys who hadn’t been involved in charity before but they participated in this and had a lot of fun.”
This year, The Movember Space Coast network that Pamela and Anil created to help connect the Movember efforts of Brevard County, Florida has already raised over $15,500 and they are looking forward to their big end of the month party on Movember 30th.
The best part about the Dhople’s story is that you can do the same thing in your own community. Pamela offers some advice to Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who want to spread the cause. “Start by getting local businesses involved. Finding a location to host your end of the month party is a big thing. If you can get the local media to take notice of what you’re doing that also really helps. Our success was all about word of mouth, talking to neighbors and convincing our community to participate. Also, make sure the end of the month party is a lot of fun. Gather great prizes and use the Movember events page to help with ideas. We tried to create a really memorable experience for the people who attended the party.”
Have an inspiring story like the Dhople’s? Share it with us! What are you doing to spread the word about Movember in your community?
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