Talk about a ‘stache of cash!
Kids at a Bergen Beach school raised hundreds of dollars to fight prostate cancer last month as part of a national effort to promote men’s health during the so-called Movember campaign.
The pint-sized pupils may not yet be old enough to grow the signature mustaches associated with the month-long wellness initiative, but all of them know men who could be at risk for prostrate cancer, testicular cancer, or suicide, and wanted to lend their hands to the cause, according to their teacher.
“Everybody’s father, grandfather, uncle — they just need the awareness to go and get checked,” said Cory Goodman, who teaches technology at PS 312 on Avenue T.
Ten male and female fifth graders on the school’s student council — a body Goodman formed earlier this year to get kids involved in the learning house’s operations and do-good efforts such as the Movember initiative — spearheaded the fund-raising, the teacher said.
The group spoke to their peers about men’s health, made posters, and collected donations from parents and other students, netting some $700 by the end of the four-week effort, according to Goodman, a regular Movember participant who prefers growing a full beard to a nose warmer, he said.
“I usually just do the whole beard, I don’t think I’m a mustache person,” Goodman said.
The kids, however, were more open-minded when it came to sporting mustaches — or at least fake ones, which they all donned on Friday to celebrate the last day of the fund-raiser that one 10-year-old pupil called a blast from start to finish.
“I love how our school made a bunch of posters to help donate to men’s health and prevent cancer,” said Hana Elfiqi.
Elfiqi made it about two hours before ripping her faux facial fur off because she said it got too itchy, but another 10-year-old in the group said he planned to rock his ‘stache for the long term.
“I’ll probably wear it for the rest of the month,” Jimmy Friscia said on the last day of the month.
The youngsters donated their proceeds to do-good group Fans of the Cure, which advocates for prostate-cancer awareness and early diagnosis, according to its founder, sports broadcaster Ed Randall, who formed the organization after surviving the illness.
“I realized there could be tens, hundreds, thousands, millions of guys out there like me walking around feeling, thinking they were fine, because prostate cancer in its earliest phases has no symptoms,” said Randall, the host of “Talking Baseball” on WFAN. “But they could be time bombs.”
Goodman selected Randall’s group as the recipient for the cash after hearing the journalist talk about its efforts on his radio program, he said.
“I enjoy listening to Ed Randall on Sunday mornings, so I know he’s been talking about prostate cancer for years, and I wanted to find an organization that would best suit what we’re doing and was trustworthy,” the teacher said. “I knew right away that was the one we were going to go for.”
