Guys Giving Back... parting words

 It makes my heart melt. (and yes, I do in fact have a heart…)

So, November is now known as #Movember. Yes, you need the hashtag for it to be legit.  #Movember is for men’s health awareness, and in particular, prostate cancer.  And what says ‘men’s health’ more than a wickedly awesome mustache? Exactly, nothing else.  Prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, is estimated to take the lives of approximately 33,000 men in 2011, and that approximately 240,000 new cases will be diagnosed.  Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, right behind lung cancer. As a soon-to-be oncology nurse, I’m always thrilled to read how athletes give back, especially when it comes to cancer and cancer research.  I’m sure many of us are following at least one NHL’er or athlete on Twitter who is growing one for men’s health. If you can, throw a dollar their way, make a small difference.  Check out http://us.movember.com/ and search for them. It’s easy really.  This prompted me to see who else is giving back, but not just in the month of #Movember.

And on the last day of #movember, I give unto thee…

The best and the worst #movember ‘staches. So, grab your cup o’coffee, sit back, and gawk at the photos.

Brent Burns: MN Wild.
Oddly enough, this could double as a mugshot.
It also creeps me out. His eyes follow you.......

Kyle Chipchura: ANA Ducks
All I can focus on is the oddly uneven eyebrows.

Kyle Clutterbuck: MN Wild
You could at least smile.
It might make it better....

Jamie McBain: CAR Hurricanes
Ok, I take it back...
smiling does not make it better... 

Dany Heatley: MN Wild
This... is week #3's photo.
Yes, continue laughing.
I still am.

Eric Nystrom: DAL Stars
Dude's got a badass handlebar thingamajig.

Johnny Oduya:WPG Jets
Volume. Luster. Sheen. It's got it all. And then some.

George Parros:ANA Ducks
Parros = Mustache
It's a proven fact.

Mark Stuart: WPG Jets
He grew this in 4 hours.
No joke.

Nate Thompson: TB Lightning
It rivals SidCro's stache.
It should also meet the same demise as SidCro's stache...

In all seriousness... give these guys props for looking somewhat ridiculously creepy for a good cause.  Let the series of razor burns begin tomorrow at midnight!  I hope no one goes on the IR with 'upper body' injuries from shaving off their staches!

Guys Giving Back: Brad Richards

Since I decided to focus on Brad Richards, you can visit this article on NYRangerNation...

Guys Giving Back

It makes my heart melt. (and yes, I do in fact have a heart…)

So, November is now known as #Movember. Yes, you need the hashtag for it to be legit.  #Movember is for men’s health awareness, and in particular, prostate cancer.  And what says ‘men’s health’ more than a wickedly awesome mustache? Exactly, nothing else.  Prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, is estimated to take the lives of approximately 33,000 men in 2011, and that approximately 240,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2011.  Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, right behind lung cancer. As a soon-to-be oncology nurse, I’m always thrilled to read how athletes give back, especially when it comes to cancer and cancer research. The fact that these men are willing to grow a ‘stache for the cure is simply awesome.  I’m in love with how many of them are documenting their growth, both on Twitter and on YouTube.  Hiller has a #Movember goalie mask, as does Tim Thomas. More proof that the NHL is awesome.  I’m sure many of us are following at least one NHL’er or athlete on Twitter who is growing one for men’s health. If not, search here and see who is participating using the #Movember.  If you can, throw a dollar their way, make a small difference.  Check out Movember and search for them. It’s easy really.

But what makes the NHL special, is that there are many guys who give back year round. So I figured, hey, why not take the time to shed light on these amazing guys and their amazing work. Let’s start with a favourite of mine, John-Michael Liles of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Or as I like to call him, #JML.

Photo courtesy of Lisa Gansky Photography

I’ve been a fan of #JML since he broke into the NHL in 2003 with the Avalanche.  Aside from being a stellar defenseman, he’s also a stellar community presence.  He’s given back to the community, participating in countless Avalanche Charity Events, Kempe’s Child Abuse Super hero in April 2010 and most recently his efforts in his new town, Toronto.  No sooner did he arrive in the big TO, he was visiting at Sick Kids Hospital. It takes a classy guy to give back to a community mere minutes after signing with them.  A classy guy with a big heart.  He now also has, according to Mapleleafs.com, “Liles’ Buds”.  Liles’ Buds provides recognition to kids who do good deeds, random acts of kindness in school and in the community. Proving that no good deed goes unnoticed. Selected winners get to have a meet & greet with #JML, tickets to practice and a game.  Big props to #JML for not only raising awareness of the overwhelming accounts of bullying, but making it acceptable for kids to step in and say something when they see it happen, or prevent it from happening.


I'll spotlight another one on Wednesday...