MEDIA ALERT: TORONTO FIRE SERVICES JOINED BY "NOT-SO" TINY TOWNSHIP FIREFIGHTERS AND PICKERING FIRE FOR SHAVE DOWN, KICKING OFF 17TH ANNUAL MOVEMBER CAMPAIGN IN TORONTO

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2023 /CNW/ - November 1st marks the beginning of the 17th annual Movember campaign in Canada, where Canadians from coast to coast will Grow, Move or Host to raise funds and awareness for mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

To kick-off this year's efforts, Toronto Fire Services will be joined by their friendly fundraising rivals, Tiny Township Fire Department and Pickering Fire Department, publicly shaving down at Toronto's Exhibition Firehall, shedding their facial hair and starting the month clean-shaven and moustache-ready.  Toronto Fire Services, Pickering Fire and Tiny Township Fire will be three of many departments ? including most GTA fire services - taking part in The Great Canadian Fire Challenge, a country-wide challenge where firefighters across Canada compete to raise funds and awareness for men's health.

While Tiny in name, the Tiny Firefighter's fundraising efforts are anything but. They currently hold the title as the reigning first responder fundraising team - not only in Canada - but globally, having raised a whopping $70K in 2022. Will they be able to maintain their domination against the country's largest fire service? This year, Toronto Fire Services is taking them head on in a friendly local competition.

WHAT:

• Toronto Fire Services.
• Pickering Fire Services.
• Tiny Township Fire Department and their Movember-branded fire engine.
• Shavedown - Jason Culala from OGX Barbershop will be onsite to get our first responders clean-shaven and ready for Movember.

WHEN: 

• Wednesday, Movember 1st, 11:00 a.m. ? 12:00 p.m.

WHERE: 

• Toronto Fire Station 346 at CNE
• 90 Quebec St., Toronto, ON, M6K 3C3

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:

• Toronto Firefighters, Pickering Firefighters & Tiny Township Firefighters will get shaved down on-site.
• Tiny Township Fire Department's Movember-branded fire engine

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

• Todd Minerson & Shane DeMerchant, Movember Canada ? to speak to what Movember is, the causes Movember supports and how Torontonians can get involved.
• Local Firefighters (Toronto Fire Services, Pickering Fire Services and Tiny Fire Department) that are willing to share their stories of why they participate in Movember, and the importance of men's health including:
  • Chief Matthew Pegg, Toronto Fire Services
  • Chief Dave Flewelling, Tiny Township Fire Department

About Movember: 

Since 2003, Movember has built a global men's health movement, funding more than 1,320 projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men's health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men. Movember has taken on three of the biggest health issues affecting men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide and over 20 years has:

• Invested almost $350 million in over 600 biomedical research projects, focusing on prostate and testicular cancer.
• Funded 4 prostate cancer registries, with over 200,000 men enrolled from 23 countries.
• Supported interventions designed to assist and guide men through the prostate cancer journey, offering them resources and information so that they are empowered to make their own decisions, manage symptoms and share lived experiences.
• Since taking on mental health and suicide prevention as a cause area in 2006, Movember has united experts, funded bold new approaches and embraced fresh perspectives. We've focused on prevention, early intervention, and health promotion through a male lens.

Movember is for everyone, not just for men.  We are a health movement and our invitation to take part is open to everyone. We champion healthcare that is sensitive to the needs of everyone, including men, so that everyone benefits. We have a strong focus on how improving men's health can have a profoundly positive impact on women, families, and society. We are leading the charge in encouraging men to adopt healthy behaviours, challenging health systems and confronting gender norms to reduce health inequalities and save more lives.

SOURCE Movember Canada