What went down in Mo-town

18 December 2007

Things got a little hairy around Rio Tinto last month as more than 100 employees across our Western Australian operations got into the Movember spirit, raising awareness and funds for important male health issues.

The team's fundraising effort of $25,292 was increased to more than $45,000 following a company donation, under Rio Tinto's broader employee fundraising programme, which ranked our team 11th in Australia.

Click here to see the Mo-tos! »

Here are the experiences of just a few of our Mo Bros and Sistas (all Platinum Movember fundraisers who raised more than $1,000 each)…

Emily Gillespie, Argyle Diamonds

After encouraging some of her male workmates to sign up, Emily, in true Mo Sista form, accepted the challenge to wear a faux moustache for the entire month.

But it wasn't without some ground rules set by Emily to minimise embarrassment and for hygiene reasons. The Mo:

Had to be worn during office hours only
Could be removed while eating but had to be immediately replaced
Must be worn at all Movember functions

The fascination of seeing a woman wearing a faux moustache in the office - and on the occasional environmental audit - was such that Emily raised $500 in the first week from interested passers by.

"A couple of guys across the hall from me were also fundraising, so when people came to donate to them and caught a glimpse of my Mo they often ended up leaving me money as well," says Emily.

Adrian Clunes, Rio Tinto Iron Ore

A history of information sharing among his circle of friends, family and colleagues in relation to men's health led Adrian to sign up to grow the Mo.

"My main aim was to raise awareness of male health issues, but everyone was so supportive that I managed to raise around $1,500 as a result," says Adrian.

While he's never had one of his own, Adrian's dad has an iconic Mo. And as Adrian recalls, his Movember stint left him "scarily similar in appearance" to his dad.

"It certainly opened the door to discussions about male health issues and the warning signs us men need to be aware of," he says.

Patrick Bourke, Rio Tinto Iron Ore

The chance to raise money for a good cause and get involved in a team activity, build camaraderie and "laugh at each other in the corridors" was the Mo-tivation for Patrick and his Human Resources colleagues to take part in Movember.

"It was unifying and brought an overall sense of good humour and wellbeing within the group," says Patrick.

Also new to the Mo-growing experience, Patrick says it's "not something I'd do as a fashion statement, but it was good fun and for a good cause so I was happy to get involved!"

Roger Marston, Rio Tinto IS&T

An enthusiastic request from a Mo Sista introduced Roger to this very worthwhile cause. "I lost a great friend to cancer and another friend had a scare, so Movember has real meaning," he says.

The key to Roger's fundraising success?

"Targeting the right demographic within my friends - the generous ones!" he says. "I had many sponsors and the thought of seeing me with a Mo was enough to spur them on."

And their reaction upon seeing the new-found Mo?

"My sponsors loved it. Others looked at me with curiosity, and comments such as 'That looks...ummmm...nice' were common."

Of Movember itself Rogers says it was "a great month for the brotherhood of men. It was good to see another Mo Bro across the street or room and have that unspoken bond."

And some me-Mo-ries from the Argyle Diamonds Quiz Night…

Around 80 employees gathered at the Argyle Diamonds village bar for a quiz night in support of Movember.

A last minute offer was sent to participants announcing that an extra point would be awarded to each person wearing a Mo on the night, be it a conventional or fake Mo.

A total of $2,050 was raised, which included the raffle of several CAT models donated by Martino Caratti of Westrac.

The event was supported by Universal Sodexho, which supplied the food free of charge, and the Argyle Diamonds social club, which helped promote and run the event.