Through custom shirts and an annual fundraising event, a sheet metal contractor helps fuel the movement for men’s mental and physical health.

For the sixth year in a row, Philadelphia-based general sheet metal contractor Ernest D. Menold Inc. is participating in Movember as a vehicle to promote a healthy workforce.

The Movember campaign was established in 2003 by a group of friends who decided to grow mustaches in November to spark conversations around men’s health topics, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. In celebration of the movement, Ernest D. Menold Inc. creates long-sleeved shirts with new taglines promoting mental health every year.

“As a company, we strive to take a dynamic approach to safety, which we consider to be much more than just avoiding workplace injuries,” said President Ernie P. Menold. “We strive to continually develop our workforce’s safety, health and well-being. Our goal by participating in Movember as a company is to start conversation around men’s health and get people to take action.”

Ernest D. Menold Inc. also helps put on an annual Movember Happy Hour, an event for tradespeople to raise money for the Movember Foundation. This year’s event will take place from 6 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia. In the past, speakers have included individuals from the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) and the Allied Trades Assistance Program (ATAP). At the upcoming event, there will be a conversation on men’s health titled, “Beyond the Hard Hat: The Other Side of Safety.”

“Our goal is to make it THE event for tradespeople in the Philadelphia area,” said Menold. “There are lots of events for owners, project managers and everyone on the pre-con side of construction. We aim to make this the event supporting the health of those who perform the work and could benefit from conversations around their physical and mental health.”

The evening will also include an open bar and dinner buffet, 50/50 raffles, a memorabilia auction and live music. Those interested in attending the event or donating to Ernest D. Menold Inc.’s Movember team can learn more at www.menold.com/movember.