Students grow their mo with a goal of $10,000

Dentistry students are selling calendars and taking donations for the annual cancer fundraiser

Tarwinder Rai - 1 November 2016

School of Dentistry students have added a dash of humour to their annual Movember calendar fundraiser.

Dentistry students along with their medical cohorts are hoping sales from this year's alluring calendar and personal donations will help them raise at least $10,000 for the Movember Foundation.

"The reality of the situation is that men are simply dying too young from preventable causes, and we must do something about that," says Shahed Bayestehtarat, who along with Kevin Amaniampong spent eight months putting the calendar together. "People are often hesitant to talk about mental health, and by using humour, we are able to lighten up the situation and raise awareness while having fun."

This year's calendar features medical and dental students with their Movemeber moustaches. The calendar goes on sale November 1, which is the official campaign kick-off for prostate cancer. It can be purchased online at different locations across campus (as advertised).

"Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting Canadian men. Shahed and I noticed the lack of awareness surrounding men's health," says Amaniampong, who is the February model for the calendar. "If even one individual is able to go for a simple prostate cancer test, or call and talk about their depression, we will have achieved our goal."

Donations can be made through the Movember Foundation website directly. Calendars can be purchased at ualbertamovember.com