Activ8 Employees in Carlsbad Shave Off 'Movember' Facial Hair

The team of male employees at Carlsbad's Activ8 Athleticism are freshly shaved this first week of December. The team just got done participating in "Movember," a global initiatve that raises awareness and funds for male cancer charities. 

Activ8 CEO and Emergency Room Physician at Tri-City, William A. Meade Jr., grew out his facial hair, and explained to Carlsbad Patch the significance of Movember.

Carlsbad Patch: Why did you guys decide to do Movember? 

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among all men. Prostate cancer and cancer in general is an issue that is very personal for many of us. My father is a prostate cancer survivor and this is only due to early detection and screening. It has been about eight years and my dad has not had any recurrence of the cancer. I'm truly blessed to have him around in good health. Unfortunately, one of my Activ8 colleagues' father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. His disease was detected in the very late stages he is fighting for his survival right now. This made this issue real personal for me since my colleague and I are very close. It just reminded me of the importance of routine screening and the importance of knowing if you are in a high risk group for the disease. Movember was a great opportunity to champion for a cause that deserves to get as much attention as breast cancer.

Carlsbad Patch: Who had the best moustache?

We chose to take it a step further and decided to grow full beards. I definately think I had the best beard. I would say that Coach TJ  (co-founder of Activ8) had the wildest looking beard. I adopted the new nickname of "Teen Wolf" for him. 

Carlsbad Patch: What do you want Carlsbad Patch readers to know about men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives?

All men age 40 and over should have a routine PSA and DRE (digital rectal exam). Early detection and diagnosis does correlate to survival. All men younger than age 40 should perform routine, at least once a month, testicular exams. Both cancers are very treatable with early detection. In reference to prostate cancer there are many dietary and lifestyle modifications that can significantly reduce your risk of the cancer. 

To learn more about prostate cancer visit the Prostate Cancer Foundation website at pcf.org.