Many people in America support Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) by wearing pink ribbons or just by wearing the color pink.  But not many know the story behind how the pink ribbons came to represent breast cancer awareness.  BCAM has been around since 1988, but it wasn’t until about 1995 that they started using the pink ribbon symbol.  

It all started with Charlotte Haley, a breast cancer survivor, who in 1992 began distributing peach-colored ribbons and cards at her local grocery stores.  The cards read, “The National Cancer Institute annual budget is $1.8 billion.  Only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon.”  Haley asked people to wear the ribbons and write to the legislators.  

In the same year, Alexandra Penney, the editor in chief of Self, and Evelyn Lauder, a breast cancer survivor and senior corporate vice president of Estee Lauder, teamed up to make the pink ribbon.  The Estee Lauder Company went straight to the makeup counters in department stores, passing out 1.5 million ribbons along with self-exam cards. The result was that the company collected 200,000 pink ribbon petitions which it sent to the White House to ask for increased funding for breast cancer.  

There are many ways you can donate and help prevent breast cancer.  One way to help here at FCHS is by participating in the annual Breast Cancer Walk around the track coordinated by FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and HOSA (nursing students). This year’s event will be held on Oct. 30 and will give students the opportunity to leave 2nd block at 11:35 am to walk the track, buy food, and hang out with friends.  HOSA will also be handing out goodie bags for $2 and accepting donations.  “FBLA has decided that ticket sales this year will go to VBCF (Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation),” said Christine Kreitzman, the adviser for the Fluvanna FBLA. “Last year, we raised almost $600 and we are hoping to beat that this year for our best year ever,” she said.

Tickets for the event will be sold during lunches in the Cafeteria Oct. 22- 28 for $1. For more information, see Ms. Kreitzman in Room 4508.

Nov. 2 update: According to Christine Kreitzman, this year’s walk was a success, with hundreds of students participating and nearly $500 raise for breast cancer research. The money will be given to the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization out of Richmond founded by cancer survivors.