Oct 8, 2007 10:13 am US/Central
Pink For A Week Spotlights Breast Cancer Survivors
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a time for us to celebrate our friends and family who are breast cancer survivors and to remember and mourn those no longer with us. It's a time to renew our energy to fight this cruel disease and to focus our efforts to support the researchers and physicians who are working for a cure.
There are people however, for whom awareness of breast cancer is a 12-month-long commitment. These are the men and women who help raise money for research, help patients who are fighting the disease and help educate women young and old about early detection and treatment.
For the past four years, The Early Show has done a special series, Pink for a Week, that puts the spotlight on the organizations and the individuals who wage this battle on a daily basis. We also use Pink for a Week as an opportunity to thank the many companies, large and small, that donate money and create pink-themed products that benefit the charities.
Every day for six days, we're going to showcase a charity, as well as display some of the great pink products.
Monday: The mission of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to "achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and genetic research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health."
To provide some of that critical funding, they've put together a shopping site, Shop Pink, where everything from a pink leather luggage tag to a pink designer scarf to a pink Sony Vaio computer may be purchased. Shop early, shop often!
One company that has shown true generosity to BCRF is Polaroid, which has developed a line of pink digital cameras as part of their "Picture A World Without Breast Cancer" project. The company has also donated $150,000 to BCRF.
From now until Dec. 31, visitors to their site are invited to submit photos and stories of their experiences with breast cancer and, as the company says, "how they picture their world free of breast cancer." All of the photos will be incorporated into a collage banner which will be unveiled in New York on Valentine's Day 2008. One person a week will be highlighted on their homepage and receive a free pink camera.
Also today, the Hard Rock Cafe, in partnership with singer Melissa Etheridge, is distributing a special limited-edition pin to the folks on our plaza. The pin, which is being sold at Hard Rock Cafes all over the world, marks the launch of Rocktober, a month-long committment to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. One hundred percent of the proceeds are going to breast cancer research organizations.
CBS News Interactive: Cancer
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