‘Mo sistas’ support the men in their lives

Women are doing their bit to help men on the rocky path toward good health by volunteering as “Mo Sistas”.

Glenn McGrath is doing it, as is Ita Buttorse, Dick Smith and a number of other high profile Australians.

In fact, the list of local sporting, entertainment and business leaders who donate to charity continues to grow.

With over 4.6 million taxpayers making a donation in the 2008 to 2009 financial year, it seems that philanthropy is as popular as ever when it comes to giving back to the community.

And while the typical church fate or bingo night may have been replaced with charity jogging events and mountain treks, there is no denying that altruism makes a difference.

It may, therefore, come as no surprise that this year's Movember fundraising campaign is combining fun with a serious message to raise awareness.

Kicking off earlier this week (November 1) the charity, famous for its focus on facial hair, is hoping to inspire men across the nation to down their shaving cream and sport a Merv-Hughes-inspired moustache.

Leading the way is Steve Crombie, a documentary maker with Lonely Planet and Movember ambassador, who is sprouting a mo while traversing the Pilbara in Western Australia.

But his story is just an example of the type of events and activities that are set to happen across the nation.

The event calendar, which is jam-packed with parties, award ceremonies, surfing contests and running competitions is operating at full throttle and raising money along the way.

Yet the global movement is not just about having fun or spending time with the lads – it is also spreading a serious message about men's health.

In Australia, the average life expectancy for men is 77 years, or to put it in perspective, five less than women.

In many cases the cause of death is related to preventable diseases such as prostate and testicular cancer, as well as mental illness or depression.

Current suicide rates are four times that of women and 3,300 individuals lose their life to prostate cancer each year, reports the charity.

With such alarming statistics it is not surprising that women are also looking for ways to participate in the awareness-raising campaign.

Women supporting the charity by hosting parties or raising funds are, for the next 30 days, being referred to as "Mo Sistas".

The not-for-profit says: "When you boil it down Mo Sistas get involved in Movember in the exact same way as Mo Bros do except without the 100 per cent face grown, hand brushed Mo."