and I found these items while shopping today: pink scissors, pink sharpies, and pink binder clips with ribbons on them. I know that October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is coming up, but really — can’t manufacturers wait until October is officially here before trying to make more money off of it?
*sigh* Here’s the problem, as I said umpteen times in my blog last year: not all of the items for sale under guise of NBCAM actually give money to breast cancer awareness or research programs. Or some will give a small fraction of the money that they get, but not much. In other words, NCBAM has become a huge marketing tool for manufacturers.
As always, Think Before You Pink. Ask yourself some vital questions before you plunk down your hard-earned money on some product just because it’s pink and you think the money will go towards a good cause. A list of questions is actually on the Think Before You Pink website.
Also, if you’re really concerned about breast cancer and want to make a difference, simply donate money to an organization that puts the money towards breast cancer research, like The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This is just one organization that doesn’t Pink up October, but that really does important work that we hope will save lives one day. There are others and I can give recommendations, for organizations that give to breast cancer research or cancer in general, or for organizations that try to make cancer survivors’ lives better.
Remember, it’s not hard to
Think Before You Pink.
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Cross-posted to Just Enjoy Him.
Mothers With Cancer 
Couldn’t help thinking that they were selling old stock, to make way for the new pink ‘crap’.
We aren’t quite as bad here in NZ but its so hard to show support for organisations without buying into their pink-a-thon. Sometimes I think the pink ribbon both pulls us together as a sisterhood, while conversely pulling us apart by perpetuating the pink overload and the perky pink survivorship story which pisses so many of us off
I agree, Jenny. I don’t mind it when the Pink peeps/organizations have their hearts in the right place. It’s when companies make money off of breast cancer awareness — that’s what really bothers me.
To say I feel the same way would be putting it mildly. I get upset when I think about the amount of money spent on “pink” items that could actually go toward research. I wish everyone would “think before they pink”. I do not like seeing so much money sent to an organization that pays astronomical salaries to their top people. I’d much rather see it go direct to a research facility or some type of organization that is comprised of volunteers, not high paid execs.
I am plain sick of pink shit. There. I said it.
OK, Lahdeedah, I’ll cancel the order for a pink blender for you. Heh. (kidding! I love your comment.)