October 1, 2011

Since it was started over 27 years ago, most of us are aware that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, if you haven't already noticed, there are pink products popping up in retail stores everywhere to raise funds for this cause.

Over the past few years, we've talked a lot about breast cancer awareness and the importance of annual mammograms and monthly self exams. Today we want to take this opportunity to round up some of our previous posts on this important issue.

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct 2010)

• Breast Cancer Awareness: Not Just a Pink Party

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Shop For the Cure

• Clarisonic in Pink! Yes, please!

• Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Pink Products

• October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct 2009)

• Bake Sale/Rummage Sale for Komen Race for the Cure

• Nancy Brinker wins Medal of Freedom

• October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Oct 2008)

One of my favorite charities that has been helping to raise breast cancer awareness for almost 30 years is Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  In case you've never visited the site, it's worth taking a few minutes to read the story about Susan G. Komen and how her sister, Nancy Brinker promised her that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.

Nancy Brinker has proven that one person can make a difference. In 1982, that promise became Komen for the Cure and a global breast cancer movement was launched.

Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, Komen for the Cure has invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill that promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

We are now more aware that ever that early detection is the key to a higher survival rate so the single most important thing we can do as women is to have our annual mammogram. I'm writing this today as a friendly reminder to anyone who may be behind on their annual mammogram; please call and make an appointment today.

~LilSis

October 7, 2010

If you've been reading BigSisLilSis for awhile, you know that I've talked about the story of two sisters, Nancy G. Brinker and Susan G. Komen and why their story has always been close to my heart. What Nancy Brinker has accomplished in her life after making her sister a promise is truly amazing. I think she's more than proven that one person can make a difference.

Last year, I also mentioned that Nancy G. Brinker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work as a cancer advocate. I was glad to find out that she's written a book, Promise Me, about their story and how her promise to her sister launched the global breast cancer movement.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an event that I participate in whenever possible and in 2008, the 25th anniversary of the Race for the Cure, I was the Team Captain of a team for the San Diego Race for the Cure. It was a great experience and one that I'll never forget.

During the month of October, we like to feature pink products that are being offered by companies who contribute a portion of their profits to breast cancer research. Here are a few to get us started.

Look at this cute pj short set from Susan G. Komen for only $15.00

And I love this Elizabeth Hurley Lip Gloss with the pink-croc print clutch, which retails for $25.00.There are literally thousands of pink products being sold in stores and online this month to benefit a variety of breast cancer awareness charities. Stay tuned…We'll be back with more of our favorites! 🙂

~LilSis

October 27, 2009

In case you missed our post at the beginning of this month, we went Pink for October to show our support for breast cancer awareness during the entire month of October.

Throughout the month of October, companies around the country step up with pink limited edition products benefiting breast cancer awareness. From laptop cases to beauty products and even applesauce, here are a few of my favorites who donate a percentage of their profits to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

I LOVE this Komen Milano Pink Ribbon Laptop Case sold on SkyMall. Mobile Edge will donate 10% of the retail sales of each case to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

The OPI Pink of Hearts 2009 edition nail polish will be sold at specialty retail locations throughout the month of October. If you can't find it in the stores, it is still available on Amazon. Komen for the Cure will receive a guaranteed $25,000 donation.

Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Babydoll Pink

Smashbox is offering this limited-edition Photo Finish lipstick in their best-selling babydoll pink shade to benefit Susan G. Komen. 40% of the proceeds will go to the Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Motts Healthy Harvest Appleasauce

Mott's Applesauce is the newest national sponsor of the 2009 Komen Race for the Cure series. They created several special limited edition applesauces to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I've had the Granny Smith and it's awesome! In 2009, Mott’s will donate $800,000 in connection with their Race for the Cure ® sponsorship, as well as $300,000 for their cause marketing program.  Their total donation for the year is $1.1 million.

Those are just a few of my favorites. Check out Target online to see their huge selection of pink kitchen and housewares products available through October 31st. If BigSis didn't already have every single kitchen appliance in pink, I might buy her one of these.

Kitchen Aid Toaster

~LilSis

October 13, 2009

Just in case you missed the news at the beginning of the month and are wondering about the pink text, we are going Pink for October to show our support for breast cancer awareness.

While out shopping, you will have noticed by now the abundance of pink products being sold at most retail stores. Since the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an important cause to me, I buy pink products from the companies that are giving their profits to that charity. Not that the other charities aren't completely legitimate, it's just a personal choice. I found this post on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Message Board and felt it was important enough to pass along to our readers.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure suggests consumers use care and consideration before buying pink products.

October 6, 2009

DALLAS–(Business Wire)–From grocery stores to home improvement centers, pink ribbons and labels adorn everything from candy to vacuum cleaners to raise awareness and money during the 25th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But with so many “pink” marketing programs out there, how can you be sure your money (or how much of it) is going where it should?

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world`s leader in the fight against breast cancer, suggests people ask a few questions before picking one product over another.

“Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you,” said Katrina McGhee, vice president of global partnerships for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “You work hard for your money, make sure your purchases have the impact you want.”

Whether a program offers to donate a portion of product sales or requires consumer participation in exchange for a donation, Komen's objective is that all programs that benefit Komen are meaningful, educate women and men about breast cancer and generate funds which Komen devotes to research and community outreach.

In order to determine if a cause-related program, promotion or project is one that you would like to support (or is worthy of your support), Komen suggests consumers ask five key questions.

1. Is this company committed?

Read the product packaging and promotional materials or display and visit the company Web site to make sure the company is credible and committed to the
cause.

2. How is the program structured?

Transparency is key. Is the company clearly stating how the money is raised and how much will be going to charity? For example, if it's a donation per purchase, ask how much of purchase price goes to charity-is it two percent or 10
percent-or some other amount? If there is a minimum contribution guaranteed by the company, what is the amount? Is there a maximum donation that will be made by the company?

3. Who does the program benefit?

Does it support a well-managed, reputable non-profit or fund? Again, we recommend that consumers read Web sites. Komen makes it very clear on our site who we are, how we structure programs and how the monies are used. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance is one resource for information on non-profit organizations if you are unsure (visit www.give.org.

4. How will the organization that benefits use my money?

It should be abundantly clear where the monies go. What organization will they support? Will the dollars generated go to research, education, community programs or all of the above? Komen is very specific about our programs, activities and grants awarded to support our mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. View Komen's most recent Annual Report.

5. Is the program meaningful to me?

Is the program supporting a cause you believe in or have been touched by? Based on the details of the program and the potential for dollars to be raised does the program make sense to you? Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you.

~LilSis

October 3, 2009

Have you heard about Tweets for Boobs? If not, that's exactly why I'm mentioning it here today. I know that since BigSis and I started tweeting, we haven't stopped talking about it. We're both loving Twitter and see a huge potential to tweet about a broad range of topics, some more relevant than others, and some just for plain, simple fun.

I love this idea of using Twitter to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Just in case you haven't heard about this project, I wanted to mention it early in the month to give everyone an opportunity to jump on board.

Tweets for Boobs

Help raise $10,000 for breast cancer research.

All you have to do is include #tweetsforboobs in a tweet through the month of October and with every tweet you are making a $1 pledge for donation.

Follow @tweetsforboobs and at the end of the month, they'll give you your pledge total so you can make a donation to Susan G. Komen Foundation for your total pledge amount.

I've already talked about how Susan G. Komen Foundation is one of my favorite charities, so I'll be putting some Tweets for Boobs out on Twitter all month. If you have a Twitter account, please consider doing a tweet or two for boobs!

~LilSis

October 1, 2009

Flickr photo by Abby Lanes

Just in case you've forgotten or haven't already seen the masses of pink products popping up in retail stores, today kicks off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). This year marks the 25th year that October has been designated as NBCAM.

Wikipedia describes NBCAM as an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its' cause, prevention and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast-aware for earlier detection.

For those of you that were reading us last October, you know that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is one of my favorite charities. I've been participating in the Race for the Cure for several years now and it's always such a great event. There's something about the story of Susan G. Komen and her sister, Nancy Brinker that has always been close to my heart. What Nancy Brinker has accomplished with the Susan G. Komen Foundation never ceases to amaze me. I talked recently about Nancy Brinker receiving the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor.

Our family has been very fortunate so far, not to have been effected personally by this disease, but with the staggering number of women diagnosed with breast cancer every day, it could happen to any one of us, whether genetic or not. I hate to admit it, but since BigSis and I are both in peri-menopause, there are a lot of factors that can contribute to increased odds of getting breast cancer.

I go to my gynecologist every January for my annual check up just so that it's easy to remember when it's time to go. And, I've always followed up and scheduled my mammogram right after that appointment. With so much happening in our lives these past two and a half years, I've gotten off track and missed my mammogram.

There's just no excuse for that! I've been so mad at myself for letting ‘life' get in the way of making a simple phone call to set up an appointment. I found my doctor's order in my planner from January, so I picked up the phone this morning and scheduled my mammogram.

We'll be talking more about NBCAM throughout this month, but I would like for today to be a reminder to anyone who's procrastinated, like I have, to pick up the phone and schedule your mammogram.

Oh, and if you're a football fan, don't be surprised this Sunday when you see some of the NFL players sporting some hot pink gloves, sweatbands, towels, and even cleats! The idea for the cleats came from Carolina Panthers running back, DeAngelo Williams. Williams has a personal interest in breast cancer, as his mother was diagnosed in 2004. His mother is now in remission, but she lost all three of her sisters to breast cancer.

It really is true that each individual can make a difference in their own special way. For anyone with a blog or Twitter account, you can help spread awareness by going Pink for October. Check out my Twitter @lilsisca.

~LilSis

August 15, 2009

I know that yesterday's topic was pretty serious and we typically like to keep things pretty “chipper” here on our blog. But, that being said, when we're passionate about something, we feel it's important that we share it with you here. That information about the dolphins in Japan is very disturbing, and if there's anything we can do to make a difference, we have to do it.

When I think of one person who has been able to make such a huge difference in a fight for a cause; it would be Nancy Brinker. I was so happy when I heard that on Wednesday, President Barack Obama honored Susan G. Komen for the Cure® founder and cancer advocate Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“One of the last things Suzy Komen did before she died was to have her sister, Nancy make her a promise,” President Obama said. “Nancy promised that she would prevent other families fighting breast cancer from suffering the way her family had. What began as a shoe box with $200 and a list of friends has become a global Race for the Cure; a campaign that has eased the pain and saved the lives of millions of people around the world. In the months after making that promise, Nancy lay awake at night wondering if one person can really make a difference. Nancy's life is the answer.”

The story of these two sisters has always stuck in my mind and has motivated me to help raise money for this cause for several years now.

Until yesterday, I had come to the conclusion that I wasn't going to be able to commit to Captain our team in this year's Race for the Cure due to some major demands on my time.  I was still going to participate but I was going to try to recruit another team member to take on the role of Captain. Then, in the same day that I heard about Nancy Brinker receiving this award, I ran into a friend, who is a Survivor, only to find out that she is sick again and still unsure of her prognosis. It makes me really, really sad. She isn't even 40 yet and has two young children.

That sure put things into perspective for me.  Sure, I have too many demands on my time right now, but I'm not fighting for my life! So, I really feel like this is something that I'm supposed to do.

Our local San Diego Race for the Cure is November 1st, so I think I better start rallying my team together! You can go to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure site to find out more about a race near you!

~LilSis

November 5, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008 was the big day for the San Diego Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  We all met at 6:00 a.m. at my house and headed down to Balboa Park in San Diego. Our team raised almost $4000.00! I was very happy with our results considering we only had 15 members this year versus 21 members last year. Sundays' race had a record attendance of almost 13,000 and a record of almost $1.4 million dollars raised for Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

It was a very fun, successful day! And of course, we had to stop in Old Town for Mexican Food on the way home to celebrate our team's success.

Also, I promised the “Cure” Ty Beanie Bear to one lucky reader who commented on the post.  Guess what, SisMama?  Expect to receive her in your mailbox shortly! You were the only comment on the post for “Cure”, so you can't be ineligible!

~LilSis

October 27, 2008

Do Something Good for the Cure!

Order yourself one of these cute insulated designer lunch bags from Lean Cuisine. Quantities are limited, so order now! $5.00 from the sale of each bag is going to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Lean Cuisine has already raised over $404,000 in donations!

Adorable Insulated Lunch Bags!

I ordered one with the Floral Swirl pattern and one with the Zebra pattern.  I'll give one to a friend!

~LilSis

October 27, 2008

I love “Cure”.  She's a very, very cute pink Ty Beanie Bear wearing a pink ribbon to support breast cancer. 100% of Ty's profit from the sale of “Cure” will be donated to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I was surprised to find “Cure” at a local retail store because she is “officially” retired.  Now, I wish that I had purchased more than one.  I'm happy to announce that I will be doing our first “giveaway” and “Cure” will go to one lucky person that leaves a comment on this post. That's all you have to do to enter; just leave a comment on this post.  It will be a totally random drawing.  Let's make it more fun and say that your name will be entered into the “hat” for each comment you leave on this post.

Cure

Her tag reads:

To those we've lost and those we love

Our promise is to rise above

We know we'll beat this, that's for sure

Support this cause, help find a cure!

The majority of women know at least one person who has battled this disease and most of us know more than one.  It's time to find a cure!

I'll do the drawing on November 2, 2008.  That's the day of my San Diego Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, so it seems like a good date to do the drawing. It won't be Breast Cancer Awareness Month any more but we need to keep talking about this throughout the year!

~LilSis