Skip to content

Terrace top officials mo’tivated by Movember support

Community joining in Movember men’s health challenge
31061783_web1_221124-TST-MoVember-TERRACE_1
Left to right: Aaron Callaghan, Chris Simms, John Klie, Terry Gillespie and Kris Boland. (Michael Bramadat-Willcock/Terrace Standard)

Amid an increase in cancer rates coming out of the pandemic, a group of Terrace public servants raising awareness about the importance of men’s health this Movember are pleased to see the movement growing.

Movember is a yearly charity event involving the growing of moustaches during November to support men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide.

The group of Terrace “Mo Bros” have a website set up where anyone can get involved and donate.

The friendly mustache competition between Terrace’s top officials appears to favour Terrace Fire Chief John Klie, who has a horseshoe stache already bristling. For Klie it’s about the camaraderie and supporting a cause that’s close to home for firefighters, whose work puts them at a higher risk of cancer.

“I feel like we’re a bunch of high school boys growing the mustaches for the first time.

“It’s good fun. At the Fire Department, we’ve three of four guys there growing the mustaches too, for Movember. I think just getting out there in the public when people see us, I know my neighbour started to grow one also, so I think we’re getting the message out.”

Sporting the beginnings of your classic RCMP pyramid mustache, Terrace RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Terry Gillespie said his fellow officers are taking the cause seriously.

“The RCMP always loves a little competition, so there have been some good comparisons.

“I know there’s at least six people that I can think of with a mo right now in the detachment.”

Aaron Callaghan, superintendent of schools at Coast Mountains School District 82 is going for the Tom Selleck look. He’s been focused on raising awareness on social media.

“I feel like at day 10 there’s finally a little bit of something on my lip, that we will talk more about as it becomes more noticeable. Which I think is the method of it as well.”

Kris Boland, city manager for the City of Terrace marked in his mo-journal that “at day nine it gets itchy.”

Northern Health administrator Chris Simms conceded on Nov. 10 that it might take until the end of the month for his stache to reach its full potential. He’s also committed to the horseshoe style, for which WWE pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan is known. He’s glad to see the trend catching on among his colleagues.

“All joking aside… They’re inspired by Movember and they’re looking for the opportunity to do their own campaigns and compete amongst themselves, having conversations around men’s health.

“I think that’s the whole objective of what we’re trying to do here.”

Simms said cancer rates have risen and the thinking is that people have forgone screening during the height of the pandemic. He hopes to see the campaign translate to more men going in for cancer screening, getting more regular health checkups and feeling more comfortable talking about their health with others.

READ MORE: Terrace top officials bristle at ‘Movember’ men’s health challenge


 


Do you have a comment about this story? email:
michael.willcock@terracestandard.com