This 'Mo Sista' Gets What Movember's All About

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- We've reached the half-way point of Movember, and for our meteorologists, that means their staches are just starting to round into form.

Of course, for guys, it's pretty easy to tell we're taking part in Movember.

But there's also a lot of women - or Mo Sistas - working without the stache that play just as big of a role in fighting men's cancers.

For a lot of women - my wife included - Movember isn't the most popular time of year.

"I've had to have conversations with wives and girlfriends, because they put their foot down," said M.K. Racine, a Mo Sista. "And I just really explain, 'It's only 30 days.'"

But women are doing more than tolerating a bristly upper lip, many, like Racine, are on the front lines of the fight against men's cancers.

"So the main thing Mo Sistas can do is to raise money and awareness," Racine said. "So my goal this month is $1,500 and 100 conversations."

Racine is in her sixth Movember campaign, and she isn't shy about promoting men's health.

"So if I see a guy with a mustache, I outright say 'Oh, are you doing Movember?' and oftentimes the answer is 'No.' And I'll say 'Well, I asked you because you have a mustache, and I just go into it."

Year after year, she's been rewarded for her fundraising efforts. But her biggest accomplishment came after getting a co-worker to sign up for Movember.

"We're looking at his pictures, his progress photos and the donations that he had made, and he says this whole Movember thing's got me thinking, and I was like 'Yes?' and he said 'I should really go to the doctor and get a physical.' I was like 'Yes!'Like, that made my whole Movember career," Racine said.

She has been a part of Movember since 2008. And while we're certainly seeing more mustaches now, she says there's still some work to do when it comes to explaining the meaning behind the mo's -- encouraging men to get screened for prostate and testicular cancers.

So starting Friday, if you donate $50 or more to Team WCCO, we'll have your favorite meteorologist -- Chris Shaffer, Mike Augustyniak, Lauren Casey or myself -- record your outgoing voicemail message.

Just go to wcco.com/movember to donate.