Hope and Strength: Breast Cancer Awareness Month



Organizations across the country participate and support
National Breast Cancer Awareness month each October.



by: Sydney Allen

October is Breast Cancer awareness month, and many stores are selling items with pink labels to support breast cancer research. When an item with a pink label is purchased, a percentage of the money goes to breast cancer research.

The percentage that goes to the research varies depend­ing on what stores agree upon. Items such as water bot­tles, laundry detergents, and soda cartoons are being sold in stores like Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, K mart and Target, with a pink label.

Radio station Mix 96.9 held fundraisers like “Bras for a Cause”, which was held on October 8 from 5:30 a.m. -6:00 p.m. at Tempe Marketplace by DJ and spokesperson of Mix 96.9 Matthew Blades. He organized the fundraiser because he believed it would help ordinary people make a statement about breast cancer.

Women donated bras to any Pita Jungles through October 7. Blades said, “The bigger the wall of bras we can create, the bigger the statement we’re going to make on October 8. The bigger the statement we make, the more attention we’re going to get. The more attention we get, the more women and men are going to wake up and realize that they have to give self exams and go in for mammo­grams, because chances are, if you catch it [cancer] soon enough, you’re going to beat it.”

The event was a success; Mix 96.9 collected hundreds of bras for the wall of bras going on display in front of Tempe Marketplace.

“Breast Cancer can be cured with early detection and a positive attitude. The best thing to do is give self exams and go in for mammograms. Early detection is the key. And keep your mind positive,” said yearbook advisor Amy Mctague.

Breast cancer is a serious problem for American wom­en. It is the most common cancer in females besides skin cancer. Over 39,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer and become terminally ill every year, although that number has been decreasing since 1991. Advances in treatment, screening, increased awareness, and earlier detection now make it easier to treat.