Why They Mo: Florida Panthers Spread Awareness for Movember Foundation
Multiple Florida Panthers players traded in their beards for mustaches in support of the Movember Foundation, which raises money for men’s mental health and cancer research.
When you catch a Florida Panthers game in the month of November, you may catch a few players sporting a mustache.
And no, it’s not just a fashion statement.
Whether it’s Jonah Gadjovich dropping the gloves and throwing punches in an old school brawl, Uvis Balinskis whipping the puck around on the power play or Spencer Knight manning the goal crease, these Panthers players are rocking these mustaches for a specific reason: to raise awareness and support for the Movember foundation, which supports men’s mental health and cancer research.
“It’s huge for me,” Gadjovich said. “I’ve been doing it every year for the Movember charity. I’ve had a lot of friends and family impacted by men’s health, with mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, so for me, it’s just about getting the word out there, informing people of what’s going on and just trying to raise money to support people that might not be able to support themselves.”
Gadjovich runs a fundraiser through the Movember foundation for the past five years, raising $1,642 last year in his first year with the Panthers and $810 so far through the first half of November.
Since 2019, the rough-and-tough enforcer has raised over $4,500 for the charity.
“Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health, and this Movember I'm joining them,” Gadjovich said on his fundraiser page. “Together we can make a difference for men's health – in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Help me stop men dying too young.”
It’s a cause that has some backing from some of his fellow teammates as well.
“Men’s mental health is as important as everything else,” Balinskis said. “I’ve had my things, too. And just for men to start talking about their problems and men’s health is important, so I’m just supporting it.”
The cause holds a special place in Knight’s heart, specifically.
In early 2023, the 23-year-old netminder spent the remainder of the season away from the Panthers in the NHL/NHLPA’s player assistance program while battling with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The resources and support Knight had in the fight for his mental health are a glowing example of how important it is to have people in your corner during those battles. And now he is back to being himself and enjoying life as a Florida Panther.
“There is nothing to hide,” Knight said after he shared his story with The Hockey News last September.
“I think I will become a better person and player from it and hopefully there is someone out there who will hear my story and hopefully it helps them, too.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
I, too, am joining the hockey world in its support of the Movember foundation.
As someone who has struggled with finding the right mental resources and has dealt with the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, I think it’s a very important cause to support.
Without getting into too much excruciating detail about what I’ve been through, I just want to make sure other men have the resources that I didn’t while I was going through what I was going through.
That is why I will be donating 10 percent of all earnings from PucksAndPalms.com in the month of November to the Movember foundation.
If you want to support top tier Florida Panthers coverage and a great cause on top of it, feel free to pay for a paid subscription. And if you just want to make a donation, consider donating to Gadjo’s fundraiser.