the power of pink

image via nytimes.com
marchers at a breast cancer rally in amsterdam

as i'm sure you have probably noticed from all the explosions of pink everywhere, october is breast cancer awareness month. while i have (thankfully) never been directly affected by this disease, it is clearly all around us and devastating to so many women and their families. it is the most diagnosed cancer among women, although men can develop it as well. a new case is diagnosed every three minutes and a life lost every fourteen in the united states. pink is my favorite favorite color so i certainly don't mind buying pink campbells soup cans and other merchandise at the grocery store, although, i would gladly give them up if that meant a fabulous cure for this disease. for the rest of the thursdays in october i'm going to highlight specific breast cancer foundation to which you can donate your pennies (or time!) to help fight this disease.

image via avoncompany.com

first up: the avon foundation. this non-profit is totally awesome because it has been devoted to improving the lives of women and their families for 54 years. not only does it support breast cancer, but it also works to prevent domestic violence and sends aid in national disasters and emergencies. in addition to having reese witherspoon as their fantastically cool spokeswoman (how much do you love her?) they provide resources for newly diagnosed women, sponsor several walks for the cure, and much much more. additionally, they have partnered with the dr. susan love research foundation to form army of women, a collaboration of scientists, researchers, and concerned women.

so how can you help? check out the avon crusade's website for ways to volunteer and donate. also, you can buy several fundraising products on their website as well that will support the cause. i don't think i've owned anything from avon since santa brought me their famous lip balm in my stockings when i was a little girl. twenty years later, they still have the stuff. for only $1.50 a pop i can support breast health and keep my childhood beauty secret of choice next to my grown-up lipsticks!