It's Time to Think Pink

Think pink? It might be because it’s that time of year. Pink chocolate. Pink bagels. Pink hair weaves. Pink sheets. Pink stilettos. And, of course, a boatload of pink ribbons.

And perhaps the biggest "Think Pink" event of them all will be the Making Strides Walk in Prospect Park on Oct. 16. As of Thursday evening, Making Strides Brooklyn had raised a total of $118,056.87 to find a cure.

"It's one of the bigger annual events that we put on," said John Link, director of special events for the Queens chapter of the American Cancer Society, which is holding another walk in Flushing Meadows on the same day. "Last year, we had close to 10,000 participants."

New York restaurant owners are thinking pink and serving it up, too. “Be an epiCUREan” is a campaign to help raise money. Participating restaurants will identify a “pink” item on their menus and whenever that item is ordered, the breast cancer piggy bank gets money (through October).

The New York City skyline is lit up with more than 40 buildings as part of the City in Pink. On Sept. 20, Estée Lauder spokeswoman Elizabeth Hurley flipped the switch and turned the Empire State Building pink.

Washington, D.C. is having a similar dining program called Take a Bite out of Breast Cancer.

NASCAR wasn’t going to take a backseat to joining the cause. NASCAR painted a pace car pink and put a pink ribbon on it. They vowed to donate money for every lap the pace car had to take on the track. In September, one of the races was rained out and the laps of the pace car piled up.

“We are thrilled when a company decides to paint its building pink or when they allow women to take time off work for a mammogram or encourage them to get more information about breast cancer,” said Terry Music, chief mission delivery officer for the American Cancer Society.

“I want women to know the facts so we can end this once and for all,” she said. Music lost her mother to breast cancer and said early detection may have saved her.

Estée Lauder continues to give support to the cause. “Together we are stronger. Together we can do more. Together we can find a cure,” Evelyn Lauder has said.

Macy’s and Panera Bread also got in on the pink-ribbon action. Macy’s has chocolates and stuffed animals, and Panera is baking pink ribbon bagels during October, both to benefit breast cancer awareness.