• by Les Luchter , October 1, 2023

With National Breast Cancer Awareness Month kicking off Oct.1, the annual pink parade of contributing brands is also in full swing.

The Susan G. Komen charity is a chief beneficiary of all this largesse, with its tie-ins including a “Go Pink” cocktail and ribbon-shaped pretzels at Mellow Mushroom restaurants; retailers like Whole Foods and Sprouts selling Ascent Protein’s vanilla whey in pink packages; and Armitron launching a Tilly Pink Collection of three watches.

Another watch company, Guess, is supporting the The Get In Touch Foundation with a limited-edition timepiece featuring a pinkish face and a pink silicone strap.

In addition to Mellow Mushroom, restaurant tie-ins include the Hungry Howie’s pizza chain serving its Flavored Crust product in pink boxes to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

That charity is also tied in with Autobell Car Wash, a southeast/mid-Atlantic regional chain, that’s offering the first month of its Unlimited car wash plan for just $5, with new sign-ups also getting a free pink microfiber towel emblazoned with a pink ribbon.

In another regional promotion, Organic Remedies, described as “a medical marijuana cultivation and research organization,” is supporting the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition in part by removing the covers from LED lights at its greenhouse in Carlisle to light the sky pink over a 50-mile radius. The event will take place for one hour each Sunday evening during October.

Women’s apparel retailer Lane Bryant is supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with merchandise, including a “pink capsule” collection of intimate apparel, activewear, and accessories. And, on Oct. 7, the retailer will donate $1 per each bra sold (up to $10,000) during a “Shop & Support” event taking place both in-store and online.

Hard Rock International, whose own Hard Rock Heals Foundation supports the National Cancer Society and local charities, is running “Pinktober” at its hotels, cafes, casinos and other properties. This extensive effort includes custom-designed guitars; pink-themed drinks, treats and spa treatments at the hotels’ Rock Spas; a social media contest with weekly awards including stays at international resort location plus a personal coaching session with breast cancer survivor Samantha Harris.

All of the tie-ins raise funds in one way or another to fight a disease that the ACS notes is the second most common cancer in women in the U.S. (after skin cancer), representing 30% of all new female cancers each year. In 2023, ACS estimates, about 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, and 43,700 women will die from the disease.

Among recent developments on the breast cancer front, the Food and Drug Administration now requires mammography facilities to notify patients about the density of their breasts by September 2024.

But, reports a new survey by Myriad Genetics, 48% of women do not know what breast density is, and 50% are unsure if it has anything to do with breast cancer risk. Myriad says that women with dense breast tissue are up to four times more likely to develop breast cancer than other women.

The survey also found low knowledge of family health history as a breast cancer risk factor, with only 19% of women feeling like they have all the medical information they need from their mother's side and 15% from their father's side.  The primary reason for this? “Nearly a quarter of women reported they don't talk about health issues in their families.”

The online survey was conducted in June by Acupoll Precision Research.