You have more than likely seen the symbolic pink ribbon somewhere in your lifetime, whether it was simply in passing or in a way that directly affects you or a loved one. The pink ribbon is the symbol for breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women in the United States. According to www.breastcancer.org, about one in eight women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. Furthermore, breast cancer is not limited to only women – men can also develop breast cancer.
The high statistics for breast cancer are very alarming. For this reason, many people around the country have worked together in the fight against breast cancer, and often represent their unity with the pink ribbon. Through raising funds for research, treatment, or simply raising awareness, there is at least one thing everyone can do to help put an end to breast cancer.
For the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Evansville, Indiana, the staff, faculty, and students participated in a week-long Breast Cancer Awareness Spirit Week. The staff worked together to create activities that would be both fun and educational. Several activities occurred throughout the week to raise awareness for breast cancer.
The small, simple things mattered as well – one day the staff and students were allowed to wear their favorite sports team shirt to encourage high spirits and a sense of teamwork. Another day was designated as “Superhero Day” where the students could wear a Superhero shirt to represent strength and courage, qualities found not only in superheroes, but also for those battling breast cancer, who are just as heroic or more.
The activities did not pertain to just the campus. As a fitting end to the Breast Cancer Awareness Spirit Week, the Ross students and staff also participated in their local annual Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure. Susan G. Komen is the largest breast cancer organization, widely known for its use of the pink ribbon and for holding races across the country, proudly called Race for the Cure. Proceeds help to fund health outreach programs and local community support programs for men and women facing breast cancer.
As aforementioned, there are many ways to help aid the research that can end breast cancer for good. While it seems like a daunting task, working together can only help make the goal of cure more attainable. If you would like more information about Susan G. Komen and how they participate in the battle against breast cancer, go to ww5.komen.org. To learn more about advances in the scientific community for breast cancer, visiting Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) at www.bcrfcure.org would be a good start. BCRF is another non-profit organization dedicated to directly funding breast cancer research programs at top medical universities and facilities around the world, striving to make breakthroughs in prevention and treatment of breast cancer.