You’ve probably seen plenty of pink around this month and for good reason — October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast cancer is a serious issue that affects women of all ages. In fact, according to breastcancer.org, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and about 85 percent of breast cancer occurs in women with no family history of cancer. Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, with just under 30 percent of cancer cases in women being breast cancer.
Those are some scary statistics! However, there is some good news. In 2011, there were more than 2.6 billion breast cancer survivors in the United States. Statistics like this can rise by better prevention, early detection and proper care.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded to promote mammograms as the most effective way of fighting breast cancer. In 1993, Evelyn Lauder, of Estee Lauder, founded The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and established the pink ribbon as the symbol.
According to the website, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation donates 90 cents of every dollar to programs dedicated to research and awareness. Website visitors have the opportunity to donate, sign up to hold a fundraiser, shop pink products and watch inspiring videos of survivors. To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visitors can also make a donation in tribute to a loved one fighting the disease and send an e-card to their loved one.
So what are we doing about this disease that affects women of all ages across the globe, and how can you get involved?
Find a walk. Susan G. Komen sponsors walks in various locations across America every month. In October, there are more than fifty walks across the United States that anyone can participate in. These range from one-day events to three-day, sixty-mile-long walks. The Avon walk for breast cancer is similar; it’s a two-day, thirty-nine mile walk held in nine cities to raise awareness and funds.
Join the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual Pink Ribbon Challenge. It’s simple: Voters visit their favorite radio station’s website and click on the Pink Ribbon banner, which sends them to a site where they can donate to fund free mammograms.
Or simply show your support. At one hair salon at the University of Illinois, you can get a pink hair extension for only $1 to show your support of those battling the disease.
So, keep celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month by showing your support or getting involved. Anything you do can help make a difference! With everyone’s help, we can raise funds, elevate awareness and help end this disease once and for all.