| ince the late 1970s when Penny Laingen tied yellow | | | | Simple and Self run special breast cancer awareness |
| ribbons around trees to bring awareness to her | | | | articles and pages filled with pink ribbon product |
| husband who was a hostage in the Iran Hostage | | | | recommendations. |
| Crisis of 1979-1980, ribbons have been used as | | | | InStyle magazine features an article on actress and |
| powerful symbols of awareness and hope. In the | | | | breast cancer activist Halle Berry and her participation |
| 1990s AIDS activists used red ribbons representing | | | | in the 15th annual Entertainment Industry |
| people fighting AIDS and breast cancer activists | | | | Foundation’s Revlon Run/Walk for Women in |
| handed out pink ribbons. | | | | Los Angelous, which has raised more than $50 million |
| In the years since Laingan’s use of the yellow | | | | to find a cure and treatment for the disease since |
| ribbon, it has become a symbol most associated with | | | | 1993. More than 50,000 people, along with Berry |
| supporting the safe return of deployed American | | | | showed up at the breast cancer awareness run. |
| troops. In large part to celebrities’ support and | | | | InStyle magazine also featured two pages of pink |
| display of the ribbons and media coverage, The New | | | | ribbon products including cooking utensils for Cook for |
| York Times declared 1992 The Year of the | | | | the Cure and beauty products. |
| Ribbon. | | | | For its October issue Real Simple magazine features |
| Since the 1990s the use of the red ribbon for AIDS | | | | a breast cancer awareness service piece the that |
| awareness and fight for the cure, as well as other | | | | answers magazine readers’ questions about |
| colored ribbons for other causes, has skyrocketed. | | | | breast cancer detection, treatment and prevention. |
| Now awareness ribbons as they are | | | | The magazine also reports that death from the |
| collectively known, are used in the U.S., Canada and | | | | disease has decreased by approximately 24 percent |
| Australia, to represent a statement of support for a | | | | in the last 16 years. |
| cause or an issue. So many groups have adopted the | | | | Self magazine, which boasts being the founder of the |
| symbolic representation that colors represent more | | | | pink ribbon, publishes the Self Women’s |
| than one cause or issue. Ribbons are most often | | | | Cancer Handbook every year. This year the features |
| worn on jacket lapels but larger ribbons are also tied | | | | in the cancer handbook include Quiz: Your risk |
| around things like trees, car antennas and poles. | | | | demystified, My Mother, My Cancer Fears, |
| There are also sticker and magnet versions of the | | | | Slash Your Cancer Risk in Minutes a Day, |
| ribbons. | | | | Cancer in a Can, Fighting Back with Fun |
| In 1985 an organization called National Breast Cancer | | | | and Fitness and more. Self magazine also devotes |
| Month designated October as Breast Cancer | | | | three pages to Pink Power, a feature on new |
| Awareness Month. This designation now means | | | | pink ribbon products available this year. |
| each October store shelves are filled with pink | | | | While pink ribbon product campaigns in stores provide |
| productseverything from pink nail polish to pink | | | | significant amounts of money to breast cancer |
| tennis balls-- to promote awareness and raise | | | | charities, consumers should be aware that just |
| research dollars. | | | | because a product is pink doesn’t mean that |
| Many women’s magazines like InStyle, Real | | | | buying it helps fight breast cancer. |