November is well-known as American Diabetes Month and the month of Thanksgiving. It's also Aviation Month, Vegan Awareness Month, Stamp Collecting Month, Novel Writing Month, and Peanut Butter Lover's Month. 

But what not everyone knows is that November is also the month in which tens of thousands of men from around the world grow out their moustaches to raise millions of cancer-fighting dollars. The initiative is called Movember, a combination of "moustache" and "November."  Here is an explanation of the idea behind the moustache movement from the Movember Foundation website:

"The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia.  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."

While Movember might sound silly, it has raised some serious money: $42 million for LIVESTRONG and the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2009 alone. This year, the Movember Foundation hopes to raise even more. If you want to learn more about Movember, click HERE.

To read an interview with the head of the Miami, Fl., chapter of Movember, who explains how anyone — even women — can take part, check out "Movember: Fighting cancer, one lip hair at a time" on beachedmiami.com.