AUSTINTOWN — Many men who otherwise would rarely if ever sport facial hair might look noticeably different starting now and extending into the holiday season.

That’s because they will be growing mustaches, but not to make a fashion statement.

Participants’ purpose is to do their part to bring greater awareness to and prostate cancer, the main goal behind the No-Shave Movember event, which kicks off at 11:30 a.m. today at Partners for Urology Health, 6262 Mahoning Ave.

Spearheading the effort is Man-Up Mahoning Valley, a program under the umbrella of the Mercy Health Foundation, which aims to educate men in the Mahoning Valley about the importance of getting routine checkups for prostate cancer.

Man Up also encourages men and women to discuss and share information on prostate health and the importance of receiving regular exams for early detection and prevention of the disease, its mission statement says.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease in American men and is the second-leading type of cancer death in U.S. men, though it’s highly treatable and curable if detected early, according to the Mercy Health Foundation.

Anyone is welcome to participate in the event to create greater awareness regarding the disease and the value of getting checked, said Samantha Rivalsky, Man Up’s community-outreach liaison.

The effort runs through November with the final shave-off set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 2 at Austintown Fitch High School on Falcon Drive.

For more information about the event, call Rivalsky at 330-480-3405.

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