Pink October 2009

It’s Pink October again, dubbed as such because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  According to the international union against cancer (UICC), Pink October originated in 1998 in northern California’s Yuba-Sutter community. Eleven years later, October and the color pink represent our fight against cancer, a fight that has spread all over the world. The observance of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US, however, has been going on for 25 years.

Today we feature famous breast cancer survivors and supporters and how they are doing their best to step up breast cancer awareness.

Christina Applegate
The American actress Christina Applegate kicked off this month’s awareness campaign at the Lee National Denim Day last October2. The campaign raised funds by wearing your favorite pair of denim jeans and donating $5 for the benefit of the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and has since been a strong anti-cancer advocate. She set up the Right Action for Women: A Christina Applegate Foundation. Other celebrities joined Applegate at the Denim Day and they included Fergie, Apl.de.ap & Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas, the cast of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” Ashley Tisdale, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Jennifer Morrison, Carrie Ann Inaba, Gabrielle Union, Fran Drescher, Tiffani Thiessen, Tim Daly, and Melissa Gilbert.

Ellen DeGeneres
The Ellen DeGeneres Show hosted by the American stand-up comedian and talk show hostess will gather donations during the celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Dubbed “Ellen for the Cure”, the fundraising campaign will hand over all donations to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Queen Silvia of Sweden
Silvia, Queen of Sweden is the patron of the Swedish Breast Cancer Association and is internationally campaigning for breast cancer awareness. Says the queen:

“If I can assist in drawing attention to breast cancer I am very happy to do so, and to achieve this goal it is most important that we work together across borders.”

Olivia Newton-John
She calls herself a thriver, rather than a survivor. Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and had to undergo nine months of chemotherapy. More than 15 years later, my favorite Australian singer whom I will always remember as Sandy in Grease is actively campaigning for women’s health. She is a spokesperson of the United Health Care Source 4Women campaign.