By Dylan Meyer

The number is 30,090.  This is the number of deaths in the United States from prostate and testicular cancer to date in 2013, according to Cancer.gov. Today, there are 246,510 total cases between these two types of cancer. UW-Whitewater’s fraternity Alpha Sigma Phi is trying to make an impact on these numbers with a unique approach: by growing mustaches.

Alpha Sigma Phi joined up with the organization Movember to promote awareness of men’s health and to raise funds for the organization. According to the Movember website, “Movember encourages men to join the movement by growing a moustache for the 30 days of November.

“After registering on Movember.com, these generous Mo Bros start the month clean-shaven, then grow and groom their Mo (slang for moustache), asking friends and family to donate to their efforts. With their new moustaches, these Mo Bros bring much-needed awareness to men’s health issues by prompting conversations wherever they go.”

Last year, Movember raised $147 million worldwide with its movement. Alpha Sigma Phi and its members at UW-Whitewater raised $1,100 last year and say they hope to improve on that number. Alpha Sigma Phi’s President John Jensen said the fraternity’s goal for this Movember is to raise $2,000.

“We are going to table in the UC asking for donations with selling baked goods,” Jensen said. “We are also asking our family and friends to donate, and this is where a bulk of our money comes from.”

The group of guys will make cookies and other goodies in the shape of mustaches and will give them out in the University Center to those who donate to their cause as they did last year.

All the donations go to the Movember organization.

The fraternity became involved with the organization a year ago.  The idea came from its former recruitment director Ryan Kolter, who is now the coordinator of expansion and growth at Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Vice President Kyle Morris said Alpha Sigma Phi started participating in Movember in 2012.

“We also had a relationship with the UW-W TOMS Campus Club, who were participating in Movember,” Morris said. “We paired up with them to maximize our efforts, which turned out to be pretty successful we believe.”

“We understand we won’t make a fortune off just baking cookies, but every dollar helps out,” said Mitchell Lemke, Alpha Sigma Phi member. “Most of the money comes from family and friends that want to see us have a dirty mustache.  It’s really not the easiest thing to follow through with, but it is well worth it in the end when you step back and think about what you’re doing it for.  It all goes back to our fraternity’s value of being charitable, not just with your money, but with your time and efforts.  Even if that means looking weird for 30 days out of the year.”

For more information on this organization, visit us.movember.com. To donate, contact Alpha Sigma Phi President John Jensen via his email [email protected].