Carmel Fire Department Public Education Officer Renee Butts is one of the few female employees at CFD. As a result, she has a unique perspective on men’s health and CFD’s fundraising efforts with its Movember awareness campaign that begins in November.
“The reality is we are an organization of mostly men, and we should be promoting men’s health,” Butts said. “We’ve got to start making it okay to say I’m not okay and I need some help.”
Movember is a men’s health fundraising initiative that began in Australia in 1999. Participating men grow out moustaches in November to raise money for the campaign.
Part of the link between Movember and firefighters, according to CFD spokesman Tim Griffin, is that firefighters are famous for growing moustaches.
Butts said one of the leading causes of death among firefighters is occupational cancer. As a result, CFD has embraced Movember. Besides cancer, men’s mental health-related issues also are associated with Movember.
