Across our firm we participated in Movember. This year we raised funds by organizing a firm-wide raffle and, to have a little fun, a photo contest. Some of our markets also created their own inner-office activities to raise funds. There is one individual, however, who has taken the Movember fundraising game to the next level - Tyler Pennington.
Tyler Pennington is a Senior Accountant in our Edmonton office. Since 2017, he has raised $4,126 for the cause. This year in Edmonton he helped raised funds by auctioning off old office art that was going to go to landfill. Oddly enough, through Tyler’s participation in Movember he’s created a new community for himself due to his commonly shared facial feature. And, of course, he has started the conversation with so many about cancer and men’s mental health.
Creating a MO-vement
I first became aware of and involved with the Movember campaign back when I was playing junior hockey. The few of us who could actually grow a moustache competed to see who could grow the best (worst?) ‘stache, and we raised a few dollars in the process. Since then, I’ve grown a moustache every November regardless of whether I was actively fundraising or not. Once I started my career at Crowe MacKay in 2017, I joined the Movember team and have ramped up my fundraising efforts ever since.
I’m passionate about the fight against cancer and ending the stigma associated with mental health. We have all been touched by or know those who have struggled with mental health or who have had to battle cancer. Movember is a fun and easy way for me to start conversations about these issues and raise funds to support men’s health initiatives.
I'm the Head Coach of the PAC Saints Minor Midget AAA team in the AMMHL and I have found Movember as a great teaching opportunity for the kids about the importance of giving back. Kicking off this campaign I sent an email to the parents, informing them how each year, one of my goals is to spark a conversation around men’s health and to exceed my target of raising $1,000+ towards prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health initiatives around the world. I also shared how we were going to use the Power of the ‘Stache to help further educate the boys on social issues and the importance of giving back to our communities, making sacrifices, and being ambassadors for positive change.
Apart from teaching the kids how to be great citizens of the world, one of my favorite aspects of the Movember campaign is the element of teamwork and community that it creates. From fundraising with teammates and co-workers, to giving a smile or a nod to other proud moustache-growers that I pass on the street, there’s a feeling of togetherness that doesn’t always exist in our normal day-to-day lives, and it serves as a great reminder that when it comes to mental health you’re never alone.
MO-Money at Crowe
This year, Crowe MacKay LLP raised $9,267 for Movember, passing our goal of $9,000. As a firm, we care about our communities and in being active supporters of Movember, we are advocating the importance of creating conversations around prostate and testicular cancer, suicide prevention, and mental health for men around the world. In the last three years alone, Crowe MacKay has raised over $40,000 for Movember.
Photos are of Jeff Clarke, Darian Yakimchuk, Jordan Day, and Thy Hoeve
Group photos are of Whitehorse and the Sunshine Coast team