5 Ways To Show Support During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year’s events have made showing your support a little bit tricky. Many organizations have adjusted their event guidelines to maintain the safety of participants while still going strong with support for breast cancer. Whether this is your first time taking part in breast cancer awareness, or if you’re a seasoned veteran in the walks, charities, and fundraisers, PROSHRED® is here with some helpful information on how you can show your support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

1. Educate Yourself on Breast Cancer

It’s important to stay in the know on the latest breakthroughs in breast cancer research. If you’ve never looked into the facts about breast cancer before, this is a great time to start! During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, more information on this subject is readily available, so you don’t have to worry about sorting through false information to find what you’re looking for. The American Institute for Cancer Research has some great, straightforward information about breast cancer in women and men. This organization also has information on other types of cancers, so if you or a loved one are seeking cancer facts, this is a great place to start.

2. Wear Pink!

Hot pink has become the token color for breast cancer awareness ever since the early 90’s when Charlotte Haley, a breast cancer survivor, strove to raise awareness for breast cancer by tying peach colored ribbons to small information cards and handing them out at local supermarkets. Haley also wrote to prominent women during this time and spread her message through word of mouth. 

Haley’s efforts caught the interest of Self Magazine, who was developing the Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue at the time. Self Magazine loved the idea of using a ribbon as a symbol for breast cancer awareness, but for legal reasons, they could not use the peach ribbon that Haley was using for her cause. Instead, the magazine opted for the pink ribbon that we have come to associate with breast cancer today. During the month of October, you can show your support in this on-going effort by wearing the brightest and hottest pink clothing that you own.

3. Donate to Breast Cancer Charities

While you should be wary of scams who pose as charities, there are a few reputable organizations out there who you can trust with your donations. If you aren’t sure about a charity that you’re interested in donating to, The Better Business Bureau® has reports on many well-known organizations. If your organization is on this list and meets the 20 BBB standards for charity accountability, then you can trust that your money is going towards a good cause. This is a great way to broaden your reach when donating money to breast cancer by going through organizations that have been pushed under the radar by larger corporations who don’t have your best interests at heart.

4. Participate in Local Events

There are plenty of Breast Cancer Awareness events going on this year, despite global circumstances. It’s important to take advantage of these opportunities while also taking steps to keep you and your loved ones safe. You can easily find breast cancer events near you by performing a local search on Google, or by checking with your favorite organizations. For example, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation has posted upcoming virtual events on their website for the month of October, where everyone is invited to attend without having to leave the comfort of their home.

5. Support Local Businesses 

If you’re too overwhelmed with all of the ways to donate money or time towards breast cancer during this month, that’s okay too. Chances are your favorite businesses are already doing the hard work for you by hosting events or fundraisers for breast cancer awareness. At PROSHRED®, we have already done this with our annual ShredCancer event across all of our franchises. During this event, our customers arrived at their local PROSHRED® locations with shredding materials, and purchased a box or bag to hold these items. All of the proceeds for this nationwide event were donated to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

PROSHRED® was very pleased with the amount of participation that went into our latest ShredCancer event, and we hope to see even more familiar faces next year. In the meantime, we encourage our customers to stay on top of their regular shredding with our document shredding services. Our team is here to support local businesses year-round by keeping their information secure and helping them stay compliant with state and federal legislations. 

If your business is interested in partnering with PROSHRED® in a future ShredCancer event, please contact us today at: 1-877-767-4733