Mo Sista Maria rallies the Nike, Inc. campus to just do it.

For Mo Sista Maria Kimberling the Movember cause is very close to her heart. When she was a teenager, her grandfather passed away from prostate cancer. His religion had discouraged seeking medical care or regular exams, so the cancer was detected only after it had spread throughout his body. Maria, now a second year Mo Sista and Business Security Solutions Expert at Nike, Inc. said, “No matter the form of cancer, age or gender, I am passionate about advocating for early detection, and finding a cure for cancer.” She said, “Knowing that prostate cancer has a very high survival rate if detected early drives my passion for spreading the word about early detection and prevention.”

At the Nike World Headquarters campus, Maria noticed a few moustaches around during Movember and decided to rally everyone together to create a larger Movember effort. When the next Movember season came around, she created teams and started educating people about Movember and the importance of raising funds and awareness for men’s health.

“Nike is a very competitive place,” said Maria. “Team captains got creative with ways to motivate their teams. Some even offered prizes like courtside tickets for the person who raised the most funds.”

To keep energy up throughout the month of Movember, she planned a Movember themed company happy hour to build Mo-growing momentum and passion for the cause. At the event there were healthy snacks, a Movember themed photo booth, and a Pop & Paint instructor leading a Movember themed painting class.

Through the power of the Movember moustache, a co-worker’s husband decided to get a physical check up, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Early detection lead him to receive effective treatment.

As the main Mo Sista on Nike’s Movember team, Maria is there to support and encourage anyone who is hesitant to join. She said, “I have found that many men are unsure, and some say their girlfriends or wives don’t want them to grow a moustache.” She takes these conversations as opportunities to talk about the importance of men’s health, and encourage men to take action for their health.

Quick tips from Maria to Mo Sistas:

1. Ask guys to join you. 

A little encouragement from a Mo Sista goes a long way to let men know they will look great with a Movember moustache.

2. Be supportive. 

Especially in the first few weeks, when Mo growth is slow, let your Mo Bro know that his moustache looks awesome, because it’s for men’s health.

3. Thank the Mo Bros for participating and raising awareness. 

Appreciate Mo Bros’  efforts to raise funds, spread awareness and get a conversation started about men’s health.

4. Get creative. 

Create unique and fun ways to raise funds for your Movember team, like hosting a bake sale or a weekly office happy hour.

5. Plan and help execute your team’s campaigning efforts. 

Help plan events to get everyone together at the beginning of Movember, the middle and the end, keeping people energized. 

Mo Sistas are there for their Mo Bros, they are agents of change who seek to inspire friends, colleagues, family members and partners to take an active role in their health. Learn more about how you can get involved as a Mo Sista. 

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