8 Creative ways to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers amongst South African women, and the number is increasing yearly. If breast cancer is detected early on, it can be treated effectively. In fact, almost 90% of early-detection patients live on for many years.

Something as simple as regular self-breast examination can save your life. Hence, it’s so important to spread awareness about this and similar diseases. How can you participate, you ask? We’ve found eight things for you to try.

Pink speak

Sit down with your female friends, family and (where appropriate) your colleagues and talk about the signs and what it means to have breast cancer. Create an open space to talk about issues and then create a support structure.
You can also investigate about holding a session at a school in the area to help educate girls about the dangers of cancers related to women.
Pink car wash

Gather the ladies, dress in pink and wash cars one Saturday afternoon. Ask people to pay R20 per wash and then donate the funds raised to a local cancer association.
Dress Pink

Make sure you wear something pink every day in October. It can be a scarf, pants, shoes or, if you really love pink, a whole outfit. Also, make sure you’re wearing your pink ribbon.
Pink bake-off

At the office, amongst your friends or in the community hold a pink bake-off day. See who can make the most delicious and pinkest treats. If you’d like to go a step further, sell the treats and donate the money.
Pink run

Get the girls together, dress in your pinkest outfits and enter a run together. Better yet, do one race every week in your pink attire.
Pink-O-Ween

This year on the 31st of October, instead of putting up the usual Halloween decorations, only use pink decorations. As much as you can. Everywhere. Create the pinkest house on the block – it’ll be scary in its own way.
Pink decoration

Hold a competition at the office where every employee must decorate their desk in pink. To participate, you have to pay, say, R5. All the money raised will then be donated to a cancer-related cause. Make it interesting and create a prize (such as a pink cake) for the best-decorated desk.
Pink cleanup

When you go for your daily walk, wear pink gloves and take a rubbish bag with you, then you pick up all the garbage littering the streets. Even better, take the family, neighbours and/or friends along and make sure everyone picks up a specific kind of garbage, such as glass, plastic or polystyrene, then you add the bags to your recycling or sell it at the yards and donate the money to a cancer organisation.