RAG Officer Rebecca Irwin is taking part in this month’s facial hair-based charity event ‘Movember’, which supports The Prostate Cancer Charity (TPCC), swapping a carefully groomed moustache for one neatly drawn on with eyeliner.
The main aims of Movember are to raise money for TPCC and provoke discussion about men’s health, and it traditionally requires ‘Mo Bros’ – the participants – to grow and maintain a moustache for the duration of November.
Its official website outlines their ambition to “drive significant outcomes for men’s health from the funds we raise.” It goes on to express hope that these Mo Bros are “supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas.”
Irwin has taken a slightly different approach, choosing to sketch a new moustache every morning – so far, she has sported ‘Grandpa’, ‘Clark Gable’ and ‘Pervy Frenchman’ moustaches, among others. She isn’t daunted by the challenge of coming up with 30 different ‘tache ideas, telling Vision: “I can definitely make it to the end of the month!”
She went on: “I’ve had some rather strange looks over the past few days, to be honest. Mild confusion and laughter seem to be the most common reactions.” Despite the funny looks, Irwin is buoyant about the opportunity, commenting: “It’s a good example of how fundraising doesn’t have to be difficult or boring.”
Irwin, who is supported by York’s charity committee RAG, has raised £133 of her £500 target and is currently the top raiser at the University. Of all this country’s students, she is in fourth place, and RAG is the second-highest-raising team in the UK.
As the only registered female in RAG taking part in Movember, Irwin has urged other girls to get involved, saying: “I don’t think that charity is, or should be, an exclusive thing. I should still be able to raise money for Prostate Cancer as a female – the whole point of fundraising is the recognition that a charity can do great work with the money you’re raising for it. You don’t have to be specifically affected or inflicted by the cause itself.”
Sporting one of her moustaches and carrying a charity bucket, Irwin will be hard to miss around campus this month – but if you don’t see her in person, sponsor her at mosista.com/RebeccaIrwin to help her achieve her aim of being the highest-raising student in the UK this Movember.