Dakota Staff Sprout Staches to Spotlight Men's Health in 'Movember'

Things are getting hairy at Dakota High School. No, there’s not a shortage of razor blades and shaving cream, but teachers, staff, and even a few students are growing mustaches and facial hair this month for what’s being dubbed "Movember," a hairy fundraiser. 

During November, Dakota’s men are going without shaving – not only for viewing pleasure – but to raise awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.

There are 16 Dakota Mo Bros sprouting lip sweaters this month, including Principal Paul Sibley, who has never gone a month without shaving his upper lip. He calls his new Tom Selleck a conversation starter.

“Cancer awareness should be year-long, but my moustache should not be,” he said. 

Even ladies, or Mo Sistas, are getting in the act by not plucking their eyebrows or shaving their legs. 

To raise money, Dakota’s Student Leadership Class is collecting donations for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Students donate in the name of their favorite male staff mo’s and fake Fu Man Chus are given out with each donation. Stache gram suckers with prostate facts are being sold and handouts called “Tinkle Times” for the girls and “Toilet Times” for the guys have been passed out. 

To mark the end of Movember, a student vs. staff basketball game is planned for Nov. 29 and on Nov. 20, the male teachers with lip fuzz will step into a dunk tank.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States. It is also one of the leading causes of cancer death among men of all races. Even teens are affected by the disease; 27 percent of those diagnosed are young men. 

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the two organizations designated as the recipients of students' donations.