Pink always dominates the month of October. The whole month is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. Recently, on October 16th, the student council held the annual Real Vikings Wear Pink day. We were permitted to wear a pink shirt, and donate $1 in support of the cause to combat this illness. A total of $345 was donated to the American Cancer Society.
However, more and more people should become aware of the statistics. According to the website breastcancer.org, about 1 in 8 U.S women (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, for women in the U.S breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. In 2014, an estimated 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,570 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.
The same site also states that about 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2014. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. In 2014, there were more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment. Everyone who participated in donating to this great cause should feel proud. There are multiple events taking place this month to participate in and further support the cause, some even involving your dog, visit http://nj1015.com/list-of-2014-breast-cancer-walks-other-events-in-nj/ for more information.
The NFL plays one of the biggest roles to donating to the American Cancer society in honor of Breast Cancer. For the first game of October, all the athletes were decked out in pink gear on and off the field. One notable example is launching its first nationwide breast cancer event “Crucial Catch Day,” where the American Cancer Society and NFL are teaming up to provide breast cancer education, and free or low-cost screenings within specific underserved communities. As an overview on the fundraising done as whole, the NFL has raised approximately $7 million since 2009, with all their campaigning. The program officially launched in 2012 within 17 communities across the country (each within 100 miles of an NFL city) where data showed that the population had lower breast cancer screening rates and higher mortality rates relative to other communities.
In 2014, communities near each of the 32 teams will receive CHANGE grant funding. To follow what all 32 teams are doing in support of “Crucial Catch Day,” join the conversation on twitter using #NFLPINK. The next time you’re wearing your favorite team’s pink shirt remember that at retail: 100% of the NFL’s proceeds from Pink product sales go to the American Cancer Society. Visit http://www.nfl.com/pink for more information on “Crucial Catch United in the Fight against Breast Cancer.”
By donating that dollar, or participating in a walk, event, supporting “Crucial Catch” or even simply wearing pink can mean the world to someone suffering. It’s a powerful cause that deserves endless amounts of support!