FIREFIGHTERS from the Mount Gambier Metropolitan Fire Service raised significant funds in November during two separate campaigns.
Facial hair of all shapes and sizes was the flavour of the month for the retained crew at the local station, raising $1386 for the Australian Movember Foundation.
With four official members signing up for the cause, senior firefighter Darren McPhail said there were some “interesting looks” around the station.
“Personally, I go with the double handlebars, which is dodgy, but it works for me,” Mr McPhail joked.
“Unfortunately I end up as a standout because after about day eight, I have already got what they have by the end of the month.”
Funds donated to the Movember Foundation go towards raising awareness and research into Men’s Health.
Aside from the actual funds raised, Mr McPhail said growing a moustache during the month of November goes a long way to promoting men’s health.
“The fundraising is one thing, but it is more about promoting men’s health because when people see a moustache they automatically link it to Movember,” he said.
“Obviously in our jobs we are in the public eye quite often, so when people see a truck full of firefighters with dirty moustaches they are going to put two and two together.”
Men’s health is something that touches so many people and it is no different for the members of the fire service.
“Through every aspect of life, someone has a connection, everyone knows someone who might be suffering from a physical or mental illness, so it certainly is a personal thing,” Mr McPhail said.
“That’s why we get behind it every year, because we believe it is a really important cause.”
It was not the only fundraising the local firefighters participated in during November, with the annual South Australian MFS “Shake the Boot” campaign taking place.
The Mount Gambier station raised $1371.95 in one day of “shaking the boot”.
“Those funds go towards the burns unit at the hospital or we can choose a local organisation so that those funds stay in the community,” Mr McPhail said.
“We have not chosen a charity at this stage, but we will have a chat about where we think the money should go.”
A campaign that has run for many years, Mr McPhail said it continued to be embraced by the community.
“People get used to it as it’s become very well-known that we do it every year in November,” he said.
“People are always quite happy to see us and we always spend a bit of time at each of the establishments.”
