Legacy Mo Award winner 2025 shares his story ahead of the 2026 Mo Awards

I joined Movember after seeing some advertisements regarding the campaign and the reasons behind it. I have personal friends and business acquaintances that had gone through both testicular and prostate cancer, as well as other cancers some of which resulted in a loss of life, some recovered. I thought that Movember was a unique and interesting way of not only raising money for a great cause but also to allow conversation around “men’s health issues”.

I always felt, from day one that raising money for a cause like this helps expand research into all types of cancer, my father died of complications of lung cancer, and I had other family members and friends that were dealing with other forms of the disease.

For me one of the most salient comments that primed me to join and stay involved was from my doctor, after I had gone for a checkup after a friend was diagnosed with prostate cancer, who said “if you live long enough you will likely get prostate cancer, it’s something as men we are going to face eventually”.

I Mo for those that I know that have battled, won and lost, and in their memory, and in my own little way causing discussion or at least help someone decide to get checked and deal with their health issues. My emails that I send out every year highlight someone that is dealing with a cancer issue or has lost the war.

I fundraise directly to my email contact list that is made up of friends, industry colleagues, and relatives. My emails are straight forward and to the point. I only send out 4-5 throughout the month and prime people to get checked and help a great cause.

One of my favourite Movember memories is having a friend tell me he got checked because of my campaign emails after him fearing the results of the testing. It turned out he was fine but for him to highlight it was the Movember campaign emails that provided the impetus for him to go to the doctor made me feel strongly that I was doing the right thing.

Men’s health should be important to all of us. I come from a family of four boys and I have four boys so men’s issues both physical and mental health are part of my life. Men don’t talk, men don’t go to the doctor, we are men and we need to be strong, my personal journey since joining Movember has changed. I am much more in tune with my body, and it’s needs as well as being open to getting tested proactively for all sorts of health issues. If we expect to be there for our families, our employees, our friends we need to be healthy and we need to share our journey.

My prime reason for helping raising funds is to hopefully fund research and focus on programs that effectively promote Men to take responsibility and be accountable for our own personal health. I believe money spent on research for any type of cancer results in advances in the overall fight against all types of cancer and it is important to make those research and treatment programs happen.

What motivates me? The same it did the first time I signed up, for all those who lost, for all of those who fight. I am blessed that I am healthy, that so far, I haven’t had to deal with a cancer, and I want to just do something to help find cures, help those that are struggling.

The Legacy award was important, but not why I do things like this. Movember is a great program, my personal campaign has been successful because of those that donate to me, and the Legacy award is shared with them, and I appreciated the opportunity to email them all to thank them for being part of my journey.

–Mark Omelaniec, Legacy Award Winner 2025