October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

Here is an article that I wrote for Associated Content about ways to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Here are some of the things that I will be doing to observe this month, as well as ideas on how you can do the same things.

Hand out pink ribbons:

It's cheap and easy to make pink ribbons for yourself, and extras that you can hand out to family members, coworkers, classmates, etc. All you need is a roll of pink ribbon (¼” or ½” works best), and a package of safety pins. Cut a 3” piece of the ribbon. Fold the ribbon so it makes a loop on the top, and the two tails cross each other in the middle of the ribbon. You can find detailed instructions here.

Hold a pink themed bake sale:

Bakes sales are a great fundraiser – everyone loves fresh baked cookies and brownies! Get together a group of friends or coworkers to make a few tasty baked treats, then offer them for sale at your office, on your campus, or outside a local store (many stores are willing to let you set up a table outside of the entrance if the proceeds are benefiting an organization. Try to make some of the baked goods pink themed – you can use pink frosting, pink sprinkles, or make ribbon shaped cookies. After the bake sale, donate the proceeds to breast cancer research.

Purchase items that benefit breast cancer awareness:

There are a few groups on my local college campus that design and sell shirts each year that benefit cancer awareness. I like to purchase and wear all of these shirts, and try to encourage friends and coworkers to do the same. There are also many products that you can purchase from grocery stores, etc that donate a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research.

Donate online:

I am also planning on making a direct donation online to support cancer research. The Susan G. Komen Foundation supports breast cancer research. The American Cancer Society supports cancer research of all types. I donate to the American Cancer Society, as well as participate in the Relay for Life, but which organization you donate to is entirely up to you. Visit each organizations website to read more.