Movember? What the? Yeah, some of you are probably asking that right now. Others may already know.

The Movember concept, if you will, started back in 2003, in Australia; it has grown since then to include Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

The official story: “The plan was simple — to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health. Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.

In 2004 the campaign evolved and focused on raising awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men — prostate cancer. 432 Mo Bros joined the movement that year, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia — representing the single largest donation they had ever received.

…In 2009, global participation of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising $47 Million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners…last year’s Canadian campaign was the second largest in the world behind Australia, with 35,156 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas coming together to raise $7.8 million for Prostate Cancer Canada.“

This year, I’ve joined the Movember team formed in my department at work. And I have a bit of a personal stake in the matter, not because I am myself stricken with prostate cancer, but because a close family friend — the ever-smiling uncle who always used to visit us kids with bags of M&Ms in his pockets — had to go through some pretty rough treatment when he was diagnosed with it earlier this year.

He made it through; 4400 men in Canada alone won’t have been as lucky, by the end of 2010. So if you can spare a few dollars, good Dragons and Dragonettes, hit up my donation page.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the work that is being carried out as a result of Movember funds, feel free to read the details here.

(And of course, feel free to share cancer-related stories or other relevant musings in the comments.)