Seeing more mustaches and facial hair on men this month? It’s most likely due to a movement: Movember. 

People around the world participate in this movement in order to raise money and awareness for the health and well-being of all men, particularly when it comes to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. 

Movember first began in Australia in 2003, founded by both Travis Garone and Luke Slattery. They were determined to make the mustache a popular fashion trend once again by persuading their friends to grow a mustache. They connected the mustache with the pink ribbon, which generally is a symbol for breast cancer, but for men. This idea was influenced by the mother of a friend of theirs, who was in the process of raising money for breast cancer.

Founded in 2003, Movember is the leading charity in men’s health issues, both physical and mental. They have taken the world by storm in the last two decades, and since then, they have raised $911M to help “fund more than 1,250 breakthrough men’s health projects in more than 20 countries,” according to their website. They are pioneering the way into the future, breaking down the stigma of men’s mental health and supporting prostate and testicular cancer, one beard or mustache at a time. 

This November, about a dozen Xaverian’s male students and staff participated in Movember. 

In 2017, Xaverian students, for the first time, decided to participate and organize its very first Movember team “just because the students thought it would be a nice thing to do at the time,” according to Mr. Giugliano. In November 2018, the fundraiser grew exponentially, with more Xaverian students and faculty joining in for the cause. At the end of the month, the students held an assembly after school where the students voted for which teacher they wanted to see shaved the most. Once the vote was cast, students got on stage and shaved the teachers.

In February 2019, Anthony Mastrogiulio ‘15 was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In the week leading up to the diagnosis, he discovered a “very small, hard, and painless lump” when he was in the shower. In denial, he told himself that it wasn’t cancer. In the next week the lump tripled in size as it was increasingly difficult to walk without having back pain. In the urologist’s office, the doctor broke the news, saying to him, “I am sorry, but I am 99% sure that you have a testicular tumor.” Distraught from the diagnosis, he felt lost, scared, and anxious, but he kept his head high, knowing that he could get through this terrible disease. Days later, he went under the knife to receive an orchiectomy and remove the affected testes. Further blood tests and CT scans after the surgery had spread to his lymph nodes, requiring a second surgery. 

“My doctor communicated that the next step would be an RPLND, an intensive surgery in an attempt to remove all affected lymph nodes between the pelvis and chest region.” Mastrogiulio, at the age of 23, was faced with a premature end to his life, explaining that “the true fear of mortality never set in more than this moment here.” 

After the successful removal of 64 lymph nodes, he was now on the road to recovery. In the hospital, he couldn’t eat or drink for a week, and walking was out of the question, worried that he wouldn’t be in attendance for his college graduation just weeks away. In the hospital, supported by the staff and others, he relearned how to walk and eventually walked over the stage to receive his diploma.

Unfortunately, during the fall of 2019, he had a third bout with cancer, this time in his pelvis. It was at this point where he felt like the walls were caving in on him, but yet he still kept his head up.

Anthony’s story is a story of true determination and persistence. This year, our Movember team honors people like Anthony. This year, Xaverian’s team included students Joe Geraci, Joe Kinsella, Julian Hasson, Joe Romano, and Justin Schwartz, and faculty Mr. Demera, Mr. Giugliano, Mr. Hoban, Mr. Majikas, and Mr. Tinervia. 

On Friday, December 1, the guys gathered together in the cafeteria for a Movember Shave Off where a month’s work, while it looked like it had come to an end, was only just beginning.