WATERLOO -- The men’s rugby team at Laurier University has come together to raise over $20,000 in less than a month for Movember.
As of Sunday, the team was less than $100 from hitting their goal of $21,000, but they’ve already quadrupled the amount raised from last year.
This now makes them the biggest Movember earners in Canadian University sports history.
“The previous record, I don’t know the team, but it was about $16,000,” said Sam Wilson of Movember Canada. “So they absolutely crushed it.”
The team has been kept off the field after Ontario University Athletics cancelled the competitive season.
“We really don’t have the ability to make an impact on the pitch so it’s about making an impact from the sideline,” said fifth-year student Matthew Fish.
The team started with a promise to shave their heads if they hit $1,000 in a week. This amount was reached in one night.
“We woke up the next morning to $1,500 raised already and we were like alright: get the clippers out and start buzzing,” said fourth-year student Owen Mclean. “Then everyone started hopping in, $3,000 and we’ll dye our hair pink or blonde.
“We had to take a break at each thousand now because it happened every other day.”
Fourth-year student Tyler Ellis adds that some of the players had personal situations related to Movember causes that hit home.
“I think that aided in the cause as well,” he said. “We had lots of support from our alumni and all sorts of family and friends that have donated too.”
