Three Calgary Flames forwards are all-in on Movember

The Calgary Flames charity initiatives continue through the offseason, bringing a new face to the 2020 Movember campaign.

Sam Bennett and Mikael Backlund have been supporting this initiative for many years, but this year limits their reach as they cannot share their stories and donation links from the in-game announcements in the Saddledome. This year, now full-time Flame Dillon Dube has joined his teammates in supporting the cause. Not only are Calgary Flames players contributing to this charity, but also members of the ice crew and other Flames organization affiliates, so there are plenty of opportunities to support the cause.

Movember’s official website allows supporters to share their moustache growth progress and provides the option for donors to share personal notes to each participant. How often do you get to send a personal message to an NHL player from your favorite team?

Bennett has his donation goal set to $2,000 this year and in past years has raised close to $2,500 since joining the initiative in 2016. As of November 10th, Bennett leads the team in donations. The Lanny McDonald moustache may very well be the main reason for that as it is alive and well. Links have been shared on his social media for more accessibility.

Backlund has historically been the front-runner of this cause, with a similar amount of donations to Bennett just below $2,500. Backlund has been active on the Movember site since 2014 and has been diligent in sharing his moustache growth progress this year for fans and supporters to see.

Dube is making his first appearance on the Movember campaign this year and is just under $200 in donations. All three Flames share the same motivation statement, “I’m raising funds and awareness this Movember for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in our lives. I need your help. Please donate to support men’s health.”

The Calgary Flames also have a team page with Backlund being the captain of the profile. There are also prizes being handed out to lucky donors. The first 50 donors to give $50 to  Backlund’s campaign will receive a limited-edition signed puck, and a $10 donation to Backlund gets your name among the Flames network on the Movember website. Details and further eligibility requirements can be found on their team Movember page. The Flames network received over $20,000 last year and sit at $1,355 as of November 10th.

The charitable support fans showed for the event and arena workers when the league shut down was very successful. Even with it being a tough time for many Calgarians amid the pandemic and approaching the holiday season, I do believe the fan base has the potential to blow these fundraising goals out of the water and support a great cause. There is still plenty of time to donate and to share those moustache pictures!