The history of the use of pink ribbons as a symbol for breast cancer dates back to the Komen Foundation’s Race for The Cure held in Washington, DC on June 16th, 1990. At that race, the Komen Foundation handed out pink visors and some participants wore pink ribbons during the event.
A year later, in 1991, during The Race for the Cure held in New York City, New York the Komen Foundation distributed pink ribbons to every participant. From this point onward, many feel, the pink ribbon then became the symbol for breast cancer awareness.
In 1992, Alexandra Peney, who at the time was the editor in chief of a woman’s magazine known as SELF and Evelyn Lauder who was senior corporate vice president at the Estee Lauder cosmetics company came up with the idea to distribute pink ribbons in the stores in New York City which sold Estee Lauder cosmetics. The company then also offered to spread the ribbons throughout all of the country as well.
During the time of these developments, there were as well the contributions made by a Ms Charlotte Haley. Ms Haley distributed PEACH colored ribbons in an effort to raise awareness for the need to support breast cancer research. Ms Haley, however, did not immediately support the efforts of Ms Penney and Ms Lauder because she feared the commercialization of the concept (indeed, time seems to have borne out her concerns – see below).
Since the early 1990s, then, the concept of a pink ribbon as a sign for the need for breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research has continued to grow and increase in momentum. In 1996 the first breast cancer awareness stamp was issued in the United States featuring a pink ribbon.
In recent years there has been a growing sense of concern that the pink ribbons may be being exploited by third parties for personal profit rather than as a means and a vehicle to gather funds for breast cancer research. Credit where credit is due. We should not forget, in all of this, the efforts by the pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca which has been a strong supporter and advocate for breast cancer efforts for women for many years. As far back as 1985, the Astra Zeneca company is credited with having dedicated the month of October as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States – which remains so to this day.
The official web site for the pink ribbons in connection with breast cancer awareness is www.pinkribbon.com
Nowadays, very clear and easy to understand Breast Cancer information is available in audio CD form. These audio CDs make it possible for busy moms or working women to learn all of the information they need about breast cancer by simply listening to these audio CDs in their cars as they drive or on their iPODS as they commute to work. These wonderful audio CDs with detailed, easy to understand breast cancer information are available on the Internet web site entitled www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.