C'mon Jolly People! There's still plenty of time in Movember to grow a mo, get hairy to raise funds for Men's Health.

Facial hair returns in style across the country as the month formerly known as November, Movember, rolls around again for a momentous 2006! Changing the face of mens health has never been such a statement.

Legends grew them, larrikins love them. From Ned Flanders to Groucho, Magnum to Anchorman, the moustache has been idolised, adored and worn with pride throughout history. Defining the men from boys and leaders from the pack, a mo grown in November is now a proud sign of Australias fastest growing male health charity event, Movember.

Held during November each year, Australian men and women register for Movember at www.movember.com.au. With a clean-shaven face from November 1st, participating Mo Bros spend the month growing and grooming their mo. Along the way, Mo Bros and their mo supporters, including Mo Sistas, raise as much money and awareness for male health as possible.

The aim of Movember is to make male health fun by putting the mo back on the face of Australia and, in the process, raise some serious funds. In 2006, Movember will support two of the most significant male health issues facing Australian men: Prostate cancer every year in Australia 2,700 men die of prostate cancer more than the number of women who die from breast cancer Male depression One in six men is affected by depression. Most dont seek help. Depression can have serious effects on physical and mental health

Movember culminates at the end of the month at celebratory, spectacular gala parties in each capital city. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and David Boon look-a-likes battle it out on the catwalk for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title, along with iconic favourites: Best Porn Star Mo for the best Mo Bro dressed as a porn star Best Truckin Mo for the best Mo Bro dressed as a trucker Best Sportin Mo for the best Mo Bro dressed as a famous sports star Sexiest Mo voted for by the ladies

In 2005, over 9,300 enthusiastic Mo Bros & Sistas raised more than $1.2million for Movember, supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Importantly, Movembers promotion of male health issues and prostate cancer generated major national awareness for these important causes that receive far too little support or attention. This year more than 20,000 Aussie men are expected to raise over $2million, putting a brighter spotlight on mens health throughout the month.

About Male Health Movember 2006 proudly supports the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue. Whichever way you look at it, men are far less healthy than women: The average life expectancy for men is six years less than females. More men die of prostate cancer each year (2,700) than women die of breast cancer. Around one million Australian adults live with depression each year. On average, one in six men will experience depression in their adult lifetime and men are at greater risk of it going unnoticed and untreated. Untreated depression may become more severe, and in some cases, can lead to suicide.

About Movember Movember was born a few years ago on a lazy Sunday afternoon when, a couple of mates over a few beers decided that the moustache needed to make a comeback. So the challenge began - to bring the mo back to its former glory. With the support of some willing and able friends, Movember was started, culminating in a small meeting of about 30 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in a Melbourne bar, to celebrate and crown the first Man of Movember. From that first year the movement has grown. Movember 2004 became an official male health initiative and grew to 262 Mo Bros, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Following the huge success of the 2005 results, with 9,315 registered Mo Bros and $1.2million raised, Movember is the fastest growing male health charity event in Australia. Movember 2006 Gala Party events will begin from Friday November 24th in Perth through to Friday December 1st in Melbourne. Movember is the official charity for the 2006 Deni Ute Muster. In 2006, Movember will be officially run in London, Singapore and New Zealand.

For further information, imagery or interviews re Movember, please contact: Ivana Tranchini, ivanabangpr.com.au, or Amelia Brenac, ameliabangpr.com.au at BANG PR on 02 9018 2222.

NOTES TO EDITORS: 2005s Men of Movember, Movember ambassadors (eg David Boon, Grant Denyer & more), the boys behind Movember and representatives from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue are available for interview, photo and quote opportunities Further information on prostate cancer, depression and male health issues is available, along with Mo Bros affected by these causes Mo media tools are available on request including a Mo Style Guide, Mo Bro imagery and 2005 Gala Party shots Individual Gala Party event details are available per state

MORE ABOUT THE MO...

Moustache: hair which a man grows above his upper lip. Also known as stache, tache, tash, mo, soup strainer, flavour saver, lip tickler, lost caterpillar, mocha stain and cookie duster.

Movember: hair which a man grows above his upper lip to change the face of mens health, raising money for and awareness of prostate cancer and depression.

History of the Mo

Historically, moustaches have been worn by military men and the number of nations, regiments and ranks were equalled only by the number of styles and variations. Generally, younger men and lower ranks wore the smaller and less elaborate moustaches. As a man advanced in rank, his moustache became thicker and bushier.

An English moustache was formerly used in melodramas, movies and comic books as a shorthand indication of villainy. Snidely Whiplash, for example, was characterised by his moustache, his cape, and his habit of kidnapping women and then tying them to train tracks, in order to foreclose on their mortgages. It should be noted that stock character, 1920s male attire is generally a tophat, a handlebar moustache, and a monocle.

In some countries, it was obligatory for soldiers to grow moustaches. The British Army, for instance, forbade the shaving of the upper lip by all ranks from the 19th century until the regulation was abolished by an Army Order dated 6 October 1916.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word moustache is of French origin, dating from the mid-16th century.

Mo Styles Dal - Narrow, long points bent or curved steeply upward areas past the corner of the mouth must be shaved. English - Narrow, beginning at the middle of the upper lip the whiskers are very long and pulled to the side, slightly curled the ends are pointed slightly upward areas past the corner of the mouth must be shaved. Fu Manchu - long, downward pointing ends, generally beyond the chin Handlebar - bushy, with small upward pointing ends Imperial - whiskers growing from both the upper lip and cheeks, curled upward (distinct from the royale, or impriale) Moustachio or mustachio - large luxuriant moustache, with hair sometimes growing down the sides of the mouth. Pencil moustache- narrow, thin, closely clipped, outlining the upper lip, with a wide shaven gap between the nose and moustache. Also known as a Mouthbrow. Toothbrush - thick, but shaved except for about an inch (2.5 cm) in the centre associated with Charlie Chaplin. Walrus - bushy, hanging down over the lips, often entirely covering the mouth.

Famous or notable moustaches through the years: Will Ferrells iconic character Reg Burgundy in Anchorman Ali G - Sacha Baron Cohen Australian cricketing legends David Boon and Merv Hughes Gomez Addams of The Addams Family Asterix, Obelix and most of the other Gauls in the comic strip Asterix The Bad, actor Lee Van Cleef in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly The Beatles as Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Blake from the comic strip Blake and Mortimer Captain Hook Cheech & Chong The Daltons, the bandits from the comic strip Lucky Luke Dick Dastardly Freddy Mercury, Queen Basil Fawlty in the TV-series Fawlty Towers Fu Manchu and the Fu Manchu moustache Ned Flanders in The Simpsons Hulk Hogan Gobelijn from the Belgian comic strip Jommeke Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd in the Star Trek: TOS episodes "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd" Earl Hickey, the character from My Name is Earl, his moustache is often a source of comedy on the show Manuel in the tv-series Fawlty Towers Mario, the famous video game fictional character owned by Nintendo Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon Mirror Spock from Star Trek - Mirror, Mirror L.H.O.O.Q. copy of the Mona Lisa by Marcel Duchamp which shows her with a moustache Tom Sellecks Magnum PI character Hercule Poirot, a character in books written by Agatha Christie Wimpey character in the Popeye cartoon series, famous for his sparse bristly moustache Yosemite Sam from Looney Tunes

Growing a Mo

The moustache forms its own stage in the development of facial hair in adolescent males. The order in which facial hairs appear on the face during puberty: The first facial hair to appear grows at the corners of the upper lip It then spreads to form a moustache over the entire upper lip This is followed by the appearance of hair on the upper part of the cheeks, and the area under the lower lip This early growth is often called a "Cookie-Dust Moustache" due to the lack of fullness.