brian best – Mike Cluett

McGuinty attends tweetup

Local tweeters were greeted by an unlikely party-crasher Friday night — Ontario’s premier.Dalton McGuinty surprised about 25 people gathered for a meet-up among Twitter friends, better known as a ‘tweetup.’

“I want to be introduced as a fellow tweeter, and as Dalton,” the premier told organizer Robin Griffin in the parking lot of Shoeless Joe’s, before entering the party.

Griffin, of Milton, had previous correspondence with the premier over the social-networking site. “It all started when I tweeted that my daughter had a nightmare Dalton McGuinty was closing down her school.”

McGuinty tweeted back: “Ensure your daughter I’m not closing down her school and kiss her goodnight.”

Griffin, an experienced tweeter, has previously organized three tweetups. McGuinty is relatively new to the twittersphere, having only launched an account this past August. Despite entering late in the game, he has more than 5,300 followers and, according to Griffin, does all his own tweeting.

Last week, Griffin was contacted by McGuinty’s staff inquiring about the event. “I was told he really wanted to come since he’s never been to a tweetup, and he’ll be driving through the area Friday. But his head of security said I couldn’t tell anybody. It was the biggest secret I ever had to keep.”

But it didn’t take long for the twitterverse to become aflutter with the news once McGuinty entered the Main Street eatery.

“I respect him a little bit more for taking that chance,” said Ward 6 Councillor Mike Cluett, who attended the event. “A lot of his policies are unpopular, and you always run that risk of someone yelling and screaming.”

However, everyone treated the premier with respect, said Cluett, adding there was “an excitement in the air.”

While the event was non-political — with the premier spending about an hour-and-a-half asking attendees and Shoeless Joe’s patrons about themselves — Cluett did manage to bring up one local issue.

“I was helping take a picture (of McGuinty) and I said, “One, two, three, hospital expansion! I think the message was received. Even just getting the premier of the province to say the words ‘Milton hospital expansion’ is great.”

Event-goer Brian Best did a double-take when he saw the premier walk into the restaurant.

“His visit definitely humanizes him a bit more. It’s something you don’t see happen a lot with people in higher levels of government.”

Griffin said she’s honoured McGuinty found the time to stop by her event. “He’s a very important man in this country and he took the time to meet me, and I’m just a simple taxpayer.”

Days following the excitement of McGuinty’s visit, one burning question remains on Griffin’s mind. “How am I going to top this guest?

Mo Movember

November 19, 2010November 19, 2010Mike Cluett

From left, Shaun Noronha, Derek McGowan and Eddie Fiore show their mustaches. Courtesy of The Milton Canadian Champion

I posted earlier this week about some Miltonians who are taking part in Movember…growing the moustashe throughout the month of November, to help raise awareness for men’s health.

Brad Dickerson, Brian Best, Martin Capper and Peter Near are four Miltonians that I knew about directly who were participating but according to Jeremy Grimaldi of the Milton Canadian Champion there are many more including a few from Rock This Way: The School of Rock on Main Street.

I think its great that people are getting behind this and helping to raise awareness of men’s health issues including all to familiar prostate cancer which is a disease that close to 25,000 men in Canada will be diagnosed with this year alone.

Here’s the MO-tivational article by Jeremy at the Milton Canadian Champion. Go visit their “MO-spaces” and donate as much as you can.

Miltonians growing mustaches in fundraising craze

Jeremy Grimaldi, CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF

November 18, 2010

Five Milton musicians have donated their faces to raise money for prostate cancer in a new campaign that’s sweeping the Western world.

Movember, mo being slang for moustache, was first created by two radio disc jockeys in Australia before it eventually went global reaching the UK, South Africa and now Canada.

Throughout this month thousands of Canadian men will raise millions of dollars to help with research and awareness about prostate cancer — a disease that 25,000 men will be diagnosed with in Canada this year alone.

In Milton, Eddie Fiori, Shaun Noronha and Derek McGowan of Rock This Way: The School of Rock on Main Street East have spent about two weeks growing mustaches and raising about $500 for Movember.

By the end of the month, they hope to raise $2,000 and develop true ‘Tom Selleck-style’ mustaches.

Fiori, 27, who owns the school, said growing mustaches, which he feels look silly on certain people, puts a positive spin on a serious issue. “I wanted to do it because I wanted to raise money for cancer. A close friend of mine passed away from testicular cancer not too long ago so although Movember raises the money for prostate cancer I think it raises awareness for men’s health in general.”

Milton-born McGowan, who’s a guitar instructor, said he thought he looked like a musician from the southern American band from the ’70s, Lynyrd Skynard.

“This is a big deal,” he said. “And Movember is a great way to raise money for a good cause.”

Movember has grown so large in the Great White North in the last few years, that last year the Canadian campaign placed second in the world, behind Australia, with 35,156 people coming together to raise $7.8 million for Prostate Cancer Canada.

Anyone that wants to help out the Rock This Way team, which also includes Michael Banks and David Partridge, is asked to visit www.movember.com and type Rock This Way when prompted under the donate section.

Councillor-elect Mike Cluett has also added pictures and profiles of other Movember participants on his website/blog at www.mikecluett.ca.

Milton Movember Particpants

November 15, 2010November 16, 2010Mike Cluett

If you have noticed more and more men out there sporting a moustache and wondering “WHY”? it’s because of an event and movement called “MOVEMBER”

From the Movember website:

“The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember.

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for prostate cancer. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health. Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.

In 2004 the campaign evolved and focused on raising awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men – prostate cancer. 432 Mo Bros joined the movement that year, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia – representing the single largest donation they had ever received.

The Movember moustache has continued to grow year after year, expanding to Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

In 2009, global participation of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising $47 Million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners. We are proud to announce that last year’s Canadian campaign was the second largest in the world behind Australia, with 35,156 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas coming together to raise $7.8 million for Prostate Cancer Canada.”

There are a number of Milton men participating in Movember this year and I wanted to highlite a few of my friends who are trying their best to raise awareness and more importantly money for this great cause.

The first one here is Peter Near, Milton resident who has so far raised $300.00. You can follow his progress on his “mospace” and leave comments to encourage him on. Nice ‘stach Peter!

If youre on Twitter you can follow Peter here ( @pnear )

Brian Best is one of Milton’s most connected guys who has been working on several websites and as a commentator recently on MiltonToday.TV ‘s election coverage this past October.

His “mospace” can be found here as well. He’s also on Twitter ( @BrianBest )

Finally we have Martin Capper, who as many Miltonians know, ran for local councillor this past election for Ward 1. From this picture you can see he’s got the ‘stash going really well and looks to be headed towards Lanny McDonald’s size very soon.

His “mospace” is here and like all connected Miltonians hes on Twitter as well ( @CapperCares )

If you know of any other Miltonian who is taking part in Movember, please email me so we can update this page and help promote these guys as they do what they can to help change the face of men’s health.