When I think of October, I think of the beautiful fall foliage and the color pink. The colors of autumn include pink because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is also the month that the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of NH event is held. This statewide event takes place in Concord on Oct. 15.
The first National Breast Cancer Awareness month took place in 1985. It was designed to provide a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and the disease and to promote early detection of the disease. But as I push my cart through the grocery store it seems to me that this awareness campaign has also turned into a marketing campaign.
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that these large corporations are donating money to the fight against breast cancer and that is a good thing. I just want buyers to consider a few things. How much of the products purchase price is being donated? 10% of the profit of the item purchased is not 10% of the cost of that item. Is there a maximum contribution the company has allotted to this marketing campaign? Where is the money going? I am always curious when the beneficiary is “breast cancer research”, without a specific organization sited.
Is all this cause marketing really sincere? I wonder when I see a pink bag of chips or a pink ribbon on a bottle of alcohol. If I buy a can of potato chips with a pink label that states “2 cents from each purchase will be donated to breast cancer,” am I really supporting the cause? Make no mistake about it, these companies have done their research, breast cancer affects many and this cause is important to us. We are the perfect target audience.
So if you are in need of a spatula and you want to buy a pink spatula, then by all means buy a pink spatula. I actually like the color pink and I own a pink spatula. But if you are buying a pink spatula because you want to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer, may I suggest donating the purchase price of that item directly to the American Cancer Society.
I know that some breast cancer survivors look at all the pink ribbons and feel like someone is choking them. They don’t need breast cancer awareness as they are living it. With statistics like one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and it is estimated in 2023 about 2,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men, I think we are all aware of the disease.
Awareness has less meaning without action. Do you need to schedule your routine cancer screenings? Is a family member or friend putting off getting screened? Finding breast cancer early and getting state-of-the-art cancer treatment are two of the most important strategies for preventing deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer that’s found early, when it’s small and has not spread, is easier to treat successfully. Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early. The American Cancer Society has screening guidelines for breast cancer and all cancer. These recommendations and cancer information can be access by visiting cancer.org.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of NH is a volunteer-run event with the assistance of the American Cancer Society. Dedicated volunteers invest their time and energy in planning, promoting and fundraising year-round, underwriting event costs through donations to ensure that participants’ fundraising dollars go directly to the American Cancer Society. Funds raised at Making Strides Against Breast Cancer benefit the American Cancer Society, and organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
The volunteer planning committee invites you to join them to take action by embracing the gifts of our communities across the state and commit to walking this journey together. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is an event that kindles a community spirit as strong and as boundless as the people it honors.
