Are You Ready for Pink October?

It's October and that means you should "get ready to go pink".

What is it about October and pink you ask? Well, It is about Breast Cancer - and it is deadly serious. Pink is the color symbolizing breast cancer, and October is the official "breast cancer awareness month".

I am joining - like I did last year - Matthew Oliphant's great initiative to color my site pink to help create awareness for the cause. It is not much, I know, but at least it is something.

But what about you? What are you doing?

Breast cancer - and cancer in general - needs our attention. It is a disease that affects everyone - if not directly, then indirectly. And, it is a disease that we know very little about.

Facts:

• A woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the US alone
• More than 12,500 people died last year in the UK
• Breast cancer accounts for 30% of all cancer cases - making it the most common cancer.
• The rate of breast cancer cases increasing every year
• Survival rates have been improved by a stunning 18% due to better awareness, earlier detection and better treatment - but there is a long way to 100%.
• Men can get breast cancer too - it is roughly 1% of the cases.

We need to change this - and that includes you. You can help create awareness by:

• Turning your site pink in October (and add a note about breast cancer) - or just add a little pink somewhere on your site.
• Blog about the breast cancer month
• Donate money to breast cancer foundations (see links to the right)
• Buy one of the many breast cancer products
• ...and if you are a scientist - find a cure :)

Look at Natalie Jost's great site if you need a color scheme

Remember that it is not just about the color pink - It's about breast cancer. Make sure you do something to create awareness to the problem - instead of just making fancy colors.