October is globally recognized as breast cancer awareness month, and you can do your part by supporting the Paint It Pink campaign.

Paint it Pink is the Irish Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Campaign that runs throughout the month of October. The campaign aims to encourage people across the country to raise vital life-saving funds to support the work being done in the field of breast cancer research and provide money for the upkeep of support services, with the ultimate goal of beating breast cancer.

There are plenty of ways in which to support the Paint It Pink campaign. Participants can hold their own pink fundraiser at home, in their community or at work or do something pink — think Paint It Pinks Nights, wearing some pink clothing, or even pink tea or coffee mornings.

In the workplace, you could support the campaign by selling a box of pink ribbons at reception, getting everyone in your company to wear Pink, or having a Pink raffle or cake sale!

You come up with whatever idea works for you, the more creative the better! You will need to register your Paint It Pink event on the campaign website. Businesses also need to register their events.

The retailer Centra is also involved with the Paint It Pink campaign, last year raising over €215,000 with its ‘Let’s Walk’ initiative, with over 7,500 participants collectively walking through villages, towns and cities around Ireland to help drive awareness of breast cancer and raise badly needed funds. This year Centra is challenging us to ‘Walk the World’ on 17th October. Over 200 stores have signed up to take part in a national walk, asking communities to walk over 40,000km. Centra has some great ‘pink products’ this year with all net proceeds going to the Irish Cancer Society, including a unique bag designed especially for the Irish Cancer Society’s Action Breast Cancer programme which costs just €3, and the fabulous pink high vis vest makes a welcome return and may be purchased for €5, a must-have for all the walkers.

If you are not participating in a Paint It Pink event, you may also donate to the campaign and support the work of the Irish Cancer Society. There are a number of options for making a donation:-

– Donate online
– Call the fundraising team on 1850 60 60 60 and donate by debit or credit card.
– Send a cheque to the Paint it Pink Team, Irish Cancer Society, 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4. Make sure to include your name and supporter number (if known).
– Text PINK to 50300 to donate €4 (All €4 goes to the Society unless a provider applies VAT when a minimum of €3.25 will go to the Society).

This is a campaign that we should all get behind. Two women die every day in Ireland from the disease. If we all act now, the Irish Cancer Society believes everyone who develops breast cancer will live.