Jack Layton team among top 20 Movember earners

            Showwei Chu

Jack Layton delivers his keynote speech to the party's 50th anniversary convention in Vancouver, B.C., June 19, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck.

 

A team honouring the late Jack Layton is among the top 20 Canadian money earners for Movember, the fundraiser that encourages men to grow moustaches during November for prostate cancer.
As of Thursday, Movember for Jack, which was started by two men after the NDP leader died in August, has raised $112,034, according to Movember Canada’s website. (Layton, who sported a moustache himself, was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died of an undisclosed cancer on Aug. 22.)

The top three Canadian teams are Oil Rig Rumble, which has raised $553,000, CIBC (Banking Challenge), which has raised $521,885, and Big Mustache on Campus-BMOC, which has raised $490,032.

So far this year, the Movember movement has raised $70.9 million globally, and of that Canadians have contributed $26.4 million. Canada is the highest fundraising country by $10 million. The United Kingdom is No. 2 at $16.6 million.

Movember Canada spokesman Matt Matheson said Canadians have really gotten behind the movement, which is “very inspiring.”

All funds raised in Canada go to Prostate Cancer Canada.