Pinktober: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is the time when the leaves begin to display beautiful fall colors. Red, orange, yellow - the list does not end here as, over the past 30 years, pink has been part of the fall palette too. As a symbol of the contemporary fight against breast cancer, the pink color has redefined the month all over the world. The Breast Cancer Awareness month comes every October with a number of fundraising events commemorating those who lost the fight against the disease, showing respect for survivors and supporting the ongoing research. The AUBG community also contributes to the cause.

The initiative of raising awareness about breast cancer started with Betty Ford, who spoke about her breast cancer experience publicly and broke all the taboos on discussing such diseases in 1974. 

“Everybody was talking about breast cancer and thousands of thousands of women went to get their first mammograms,” Betty Ford’s daughter Susan Ford Bales shared in an interview for Uken Report. 

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Day was later started by a pharmaceutical company and as the awareness was spreading, the day turned into a month.

There are different initiatives organized during Pinktober. Wear It Pink is one of the most significant fundraising events. On Oct. 18 every year, people around the world wear pink to celebrate the strength and survival of those fighting breast cancer and honor those who lost the battle. Another successful fundraiser is a running/walking event called the Race for the Cure. For almost 30 years, it has been attracting millions of people around the world.

Inspired by this initiative, the Better Community Club (BCC), in collaboration with AFC Griffins and Radio AURA, organized the "We Run For Hope" on Oct. 13. The event’s mission was to raise awareness about breast cancer and donate money to the One in 8 Foundation (Една от 8), which provides psychological and legal consultations to women diagnosed with breast cancer in small villages and towns of Bulgaria.

“We chose to organize a run because people feel more involved in that way," the BBC President Asya Velichkova said. “As a woman, it [the Breast Cancer Awareness event] means a lot for me. No matter how strong we try to be, we need the support of friends, family and sometimes even strangers.”

"This run symbolizes that women that have cancer should fight, and we are here to support them,” the BCC Vice President Jurgen Gjini said.

Gjini also stated that during the two-hour campaign on campus people donated more than 300 leva.

Participants in the event enjoyed homemade pastry and pink lemonade made by BCC members, played games organized by AFC Griffins and listened to music provided by Radio AURA.

BCC member Lina Chakarova said she was happy to see not only AUBG students at the event but also professors and local citizens, most of whom were wearing pink.  

"It demonstrates their hope and support for those who fight against breast cancer,” Chakarova said. 

On Thursday, Oct. 24, the Breast Cancer Awareness Bowling Tournament will take place at the local Bowling Center “Korona” at 8 p.m. The event is organized by Women in Leadership (WIL) and welcomes everyone who would like to donate to the cause.