Profiles In Badassery: Movember Team Uno

Purdue has some damn fine mustaches. Joe Tiller took the Big Ten by storm with his. Danny Hope currently rocks a bitchin' ‘stache. Ned Flanders was originally a pharmacist, so I can only assume he went to Purdue as well. Big Ten creator James H. Smart may have had the greatest mustache of all time. It is only natural that Purdue takes the lead for Movember, a month where men grow mustaches in order to raise awareness for men's health and specifically cancers that affect men.

This is something that's very important to me. I generally take the Ronny James Dio attitude toward cancer (i.e.: F*** Cancer!). I do this mostly because my mother is a 23 year survivor of cancer. In January of 1988 she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma because of a bad mole on the calf of her leg. One major surgery that took a fist-sized shunk out of her leg, her lymph nodes, and four chemotherapy treatments later she made it through, but doctors said that had she waited even a few more months there is a good chance that she would have been gone by Christmas.

Naturally, I have my mother's red hair and pasty white hide, complete with hundreds of moles that I need to watch every year. When I am int he sun I tend to either get no color because I have to wear SPF: Lead or I burn to a crisp. Sure, I could have all the moles removed, but it would be a process that would take years and leave me looking like swiss cheese. Needless to say, cancer is a concern of mine.

A few months ago a group of Purdue alums contacted me about Movember Team Uno asking me to use this site and its vast audience to get on board. Here is what cancer survivor and founder Chris Skaggs had to say about team Uno:

Most of Team Uno's fundraising takes place in AZ, but we are trying to get Northwest IN and Purdue land involved.  Currently, we have a fundraiser in talks for 11/11/11 at a bar in Valparaiso.  I aspire to hit the Purdue/OSU game so I am trying to get Harrys involved.  To say this is a fun fundraiser is an epic understatement.  I'm a 32year old teacher that can't grow a mustache.  It looks like I have yet to hit puberty so I feel your pain in regard to the mustache growing, or lack of, efforts.  But- the cause is well worth the humiliation.

Purdue Alumni Association of Phoenix is almost aboard, so that should help. But having you and your huge following and influence is invaluable. Anything you can do to promote us and help us grow is immensely appreciated.  Any ideas, comments, concerns you have- please share them with me. Thanks for joining us Mo-bro!  I anxiously look forward to communicating with you and fighting on the front lines in this war with cancer!

So yes, I am on board with growing a mustache and joining the parade of hirsute men around the country standing up to cancer. This should be interesting. I have never had a straight mustache, but my dad has for years and all the Miller men look alike, as evidenced here.

Sure, I was only 17 in this picture, but you get the point.

So if you're on board with this, contact Team Uno and help them out with a donation or two this month. If they have anything they wish to add I'll be sure to pass it along here at the site. Let's all remember the words of Ronny James Dio and F*** Cancer!

Movember begins