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Pink Glasses Campaign Raises $10,000 for Breast Cancer Research

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The results from Pinktober are in, and it looks like this year has been another great year for raising much-needed funds for Breast Cancer research. Online glasses and contact lens company Coastal.com has recently reported that the proceeds from their Pink Frame Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign have amounted to a donation to the Linda Creed Foundation for $10,000.

For the month of October, Coastal.com (as well as their sites outside the U.S., including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) offered a special line of pink eyeglasses frames, and for every pair purchased, Coastal donated $25 to breast cancer research. In addition to the $10,000 raised for the Linda Creed Foundation in the United States, Coastal’s campaign also raised money for donations to rethink breast cancer in Canada and the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Australia.

While the Pink Frames Campaign ended at the end of October, another component of the campaign continues. One of the most powerful ways to understand the impact that breast cancer has on its sufferers and their loved ones is to personal stories about people’s experiences with the disease. At these special pages on Coastal.com and ClearlyContacts.ca, people have uploaded videos where they tell their stories about how breast cancer has touched their lives. Though Pinktober is over, you are still able to contribute a video to share with others.

It has been estimated that over 200,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and given that early detection is critical for successfully fighting the disease, it is encouraging to see that screening for breast cancer is becoming entrenched as a health concern about which women and men need to remain vigilant.

It’s sad that breast cancer has come to affect so many people from all walks of life, from all around the world, but it’s encouraging to see so many “Pink” campaigns that are not only bringing attention to the seriousness of this disease but are also raising much-needed funds for cancer research.

The “pink” campaigns have their origin in the original “pink ribbon” campaign, created in 1991 by the Susan G. Komen Foundation for its New York City race for breast cancer. The following year, the pink ribbon was officially adopted as the symbol for National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The symbol has become so ubiquitous, that “pink fatigue” may be setting in, as everyone jumps on the “awareness” bandwagon. There is good reason to be concerned over the effectiveness of campaigns that seem like they’re for a good cause. The term “pinkwashing” has even been coined to describe companies that profit from the “feel-good” association with a good cause. Fortunately, there are organizations like Think Before You Pink that serves as a watchdog against such less-than-sincere campaigns.

Fortunately, Coastal’s contributions to the fight against breast cancer are resulting in sizable donations to research. Even though Pinktober and Movember may be over, the fight against cancer is a year-round battle that should be taken seriously.