The Lethbridge College Students’ Association will be hosting several philanthropic events in support of Movember later this month.

Movember is a month-long fundraising event during which participants attempt to grow a mustache throughout the month in support of prostate and testicular cancer, as well as how to reduce the numbers of men who are at risk of suicide.

The LCSA will be holding a chili cook-off, a silent auction and a Muscles for Movember challenge. Maggie Lyon, LCSA vice president of student life, elaborated more on what Muscles for Movember is.

“One of the big things we have is Muscles for Movember where we have weight racks set-up in centre core where the most consecutive reps win the challenge. It is really fun, but it also adds a competitive atmosphere,” Lyon said.

The VP of student life also encourages students to grow mustaches in awareness in support of men’s emotional, physical and mental health.

Lyon’s colleague Tanner Marcer, events and communications coordinator for the LCSA, added that the college will put their spin on the Muscles for Movember competition.

“For every rep, we match a percentage of the total reps in cash donations to support Movember,” Marcer said.

The events and communications coordinator said the winner of last year’s competition did 50 consecutive reps at 90 pounds per rep. Marcer also said the college has been putting these events on and donating to Movember ever since the campaign has started. He said it has a massive impact Canada-wide and the college has jumped on it right from the beginning.

According to movember.com page every minute a man from around the world dies via suicide. What is also startling is 75 per cent of suicides in Canada are men.

Lyon finds it crucial to bring men’s mental health and mental health in general to the forefront of society’s issues.

“There is still a lot of development needed in all realms of mental health, but definitely in men’s mental health, there is not a lot of resources or connection of a way being paved for men to receive help elsewhere. It is not easy for men to go see a counselor or talk about their emotions with friends. It is more normalized for females to venture out to those resources.

The VP of student life also said the great thing about Movember is honing in on how available these resources are and how important it is to take care of yourself.

Lyon said the college looks forward to hosting these events every year for the amount of awareness it brings for a special cause.

The chili cook-off and Muscles for Movember rep challenge will take place on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28 in centre core.