Mr. Stoppels on Movember

Movember is an annual event in which millions of men all around the world grow out their mustaches to raise awareness for men’s health. Anybody can donate money to movember.com to help fund the treatment of other men struggling with physical and mental health conditions. As a student of Mr. Stoppels’ science class, I am well aware of the fact that he is a big supporter and participant of this cause. So, I interviewed him on the topic to discover his thoughts on it and what motivates his dedication in the foundation.

What are you doing for Movember?

“I’m growing a mustache, but also, I'll be doing some physical activity for every dollar I raise. So, for the first five-hundred dollars, I'm doing one squat, for the next five-hundred dollars, I'll do a squat and a pushup. If I raise over one-thousand dollars, I'll do a burpee for every dollar, and if I get over one-thousand five-hundred dollars, I'll do just about anything anybody wants. I am currently sharing videos of all my physical activity on @thestoppelsshow on Instagram.”

Why are you doing it?

“I think men’s health is a conversation that isn’t had often enough. When people think of manliness, a lot of people come up with the idea of toxic masculinity, and I think opening the doors for boys and men to feel comfortable talking about their mental health and physical health is a way to start breaking down toxic masculinity. Furthermore, poor mental health is in my family, and so, I want to keep the conversation going for the men in my family who struggle with and are challenged by mental health and mental illness every day.”

How can we help?

“Scan the QR code and donate what you can, and if you can't donate funds, keep the conversation going. Talk to somebody about mental health. Check in with your friends. Ask them how you can help, if they need it. Remind yourselves and each other that it’s OK to not be OK.”

Last year, Mr. Stoppels raised $1220 for Movember. His fundraiser did so well that he was among the top forty educators in Canada. This year, his goal is to raise $1500. If you’re interested in helping him reach that goal, you can scan the QR code pictured above or visit movember.com and type “Derek Stoppels” in the search bar. If not, as Mr. Stoppels said, "keep the conversation going” and always remember: “it's OK to not be OK".