Shop Pink in Mansfield to Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness

A wave of pink is flooding stores everywhere, as retailers participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month all over the country. For the savvy shopper, it's an opportunity to donate to a good cause while snagging unique, pink-hued items.

But before you plunk down your green for some pink, the nonprofits behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month want you to check the label.

Jenna Glazer, director of development for Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a global organization dedicated to helping young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, said that buyers should be on the lookout for a label or tag that tells where the money from the purchase goes.

"If you walk into Bed Bath & Beyond and see something with a pink ribbon and no information about where the money is going, chances are it doesn't benefit the cause," she said.

Glazer said the best way for consumers to ensure that pink products are legit is to visit the non-profit's website for a list of its partners. YSC, which is based in New York City, lists Oakley, Nutra Nail, Liv/giant bikes, Ford and Urban Outfitters as some of its partners.

The amount of money donated to the nonprofit is also key, Glazer said. With YSC's partnership with Oakley, for instance, $20 from each pair of sunglasses goes right to the nonprofit, which offers resources, connections and outreach to young women with breast cancer. 

And for a group like YSC, which is on the smaller end of the spectrum of breast cancer awareness groups such as Susan G. Komen For the Cure, the check it receives is just part of the benefit. Each time YSC partners with a company, Glazer said, "It raises the profile of nonprofit and gets the word out to the people who need us."

Local shops where you can speak to the owner are another option. ESP Solutions is offering pink breast cancer awareness pens in their catalogue for businesses. 

Honey Dew Donuts continues its partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. by selling pink ribbons. Each dollar raised during this month-long program will go directly to the NBCF. They will also donate $100,000 to the foundation. 

Barrows Insurance Agency in Mansfield, for example, is working to raise both awareness and funds for research during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In a special promotion, for every new customer who writes both their home and auto insurance with Barrows Insurance Agency, Barrows will make a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

In addition, the Agency will sell Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts created by Barrows Insurance agent, Mary MacLeod and her daughter, Erin, both of Easton.  The idea was born out of support for a dear friend who was battling – and survived – breast cancer. The shirt design was used for their team, “Girl Power,” during the Avon Breast Cancer Walk.  Appropriately, the shirts feature the American Cancer Society’s “Fight Like A Girl” logo with a beautiful butterfly image on the front and “Girl Power” on the back. All proceeds from the t-shirts will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Anyone interested in purchasing the shirts are encouraged to visit the Barrows Insurance Agency website or their Facebook page for photos and more information. Shirts will soon be available for both adults and children.

Here are a few pink products available online that breast cancer nonprofits are putting their names behind:

• The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) has partnered with Barnes & Noble, which is offering a pink leather Nook cover with a stitched ribbon for about $35, with $5 going to the foundation.
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure sells its own official merchandise on its website. It has pink leather business card holders for $15 each, as well as candles, coasters, neckties and car accessories.
• Hard Rock will celebrate its thirteenth season of Pinktober with a variety of merchandise, including a pink honeycomb robe for $80. 75 percent of the profits from each item sold goes to the Caron Keating Foundation.

Some retailers don't enter contracts with nonprofits but still donate a portion of their proceeds. Team Cheer, a website that offers gear for cheerleaders, is donating 5 percent of its pink profits to BCRF. From socks to bows to briefs, the company's Cheer for a Cure collection includes products from $5 to about $25. You won't see it advertised on the BCRF website, but according to foundation staff, Team Cheer has made donations for the past two years.

If you think a pink product is suspicious or you are wondering about the relationship between the company and the cause, give the non-profit a call. Representatives are usually happy to verify whether a company is really giving.

"I've actually gotten Google alerts and seen people say they are partnering with us and they aren't," Glazer said, adding that she follows up on those alerts and asks for a check from the retailer that made the claim. Sometimes, she said, retailers were unaware that they needed a contract with YSC and will send along the check happily.

But in some cases, she said, "I never hear back from them."

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