Raising Breast Cancer Awareness

• Click here for an easy and free way to help fund mammograms for those in need at The Breast Cancer Site!

Breast cancer has likely touched someone in your six degrees of separation. By now we know what it is and what it does, and we know there are survivors and non-survivors. The question is: What are you willing to do about it? The fight against cancer, funding cancer research, and the race for a cure are all at the mercy of people like you. What can you do?

Educate -

• OK, unless you are a healthcare professional, counselor or human services representative, you may not be in a place to provide direct education. But then again you may be - check out your local free clinics and breast cancer advocacy groups to see what you can do.

• Another form of education is simply bringing awareness - wear a pink ribbon pin, talk about breast cancer screens, and promote breast cancer education in appropriate settings, or with friends and family.

• Practice what you preach - screen yourself monthly and get a mammogram annually every year after the age of 40.

• October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Peer Support -

• If you are a survivor or a close friend or relative of someone who battled with breast cancer, volunteer to provide peer support. There are hotlines, web sites and other arenas for providing support.

Fundraising -

• The Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for breast cancer is widely known. The program even offers training for those who need to gear up for 3 straight days of walking.

• For those of you who are more physically inclined, there is also the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K run.

• And for those who are cardiovascularly challenged, Susan G. Komen also offers a Mother's Day Card, for which a donation is requested.

Donate -

• Not interested, or don't have the time to spend on the options above? A direct financial contribution to the charity of your choice can spur research and spread education about breast cancer.

• Sponsor someone you know who is walking or running for breast cancer this year. If you don't know anyone to sponsor and would like to, my dear friend Lauren is getting ready to do the 3-day walk in San Diego in November, 2008. You can donate to her fundraising here.

• Buy something from a company that will donate a portion of the proceeds to a breast cancer foundation.

Click-

• Go to The Breast Cancer Site and just click! That's it! You can click on their "Click Here to Give - it's FREE!" button and help contribute to free mammograms. If you also send an e-card, purchase from their store or click on one of their advertisers, you will further contribute to free mammograms.

Ribbons have brought awareness, from war support to the fight against AIDS. The Susan G. Komen foundation handed out pink ribbons in 1991, starting the pink ribbon movement. The pink ribbon is now the international symbol for breast cancer awareness. It's taken off since then - we see them everywhere now. Lapel pins, hat pins, pens, t-shirts, purses - you name it and you can stick a pink ribbon on it.

• Tie a pink ribbon around pink grapefruit lotion or body wash and give it to a friend.

• Wear pink shoelaces.

• Fasten a fashionable pink scarf to your handbag for a conversation piece.

• Tie a pink ribbon around your ponytail.

• Give birthday presents wrapped in pink with pink ribbon.

• Seal envelopes with pink ribbon stickers.

• Make creative pink ribbon pins with different shades of pink ribbon and give them out in October.