The month of October. Courtesy of NBCAM.
Did you know that October is National Dental Hygiene Month? Me neither. What about Eye Injury Prevention Month? No? (“Don’t run with that pencil in your hand! You could poke your eye out!”) October 28th is Lung Health Day. Surely, you knew that. Breathe deeply. Okay, final try. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Ring a bell? Of course it does. Breasts have great PR.
I had the privilege yesterday of participating in the first ever Vons/Pavilions Mommy Blogger “no-cook” Cook-off Challenge in Burbank. It wasn’t quite as big as the Kardashian/Odom wedding, but it was close. The paparazzi were there. So was Tom Keller, president of Vons/Pavilions, who asked ten crazy women to shop for ten minutes, spend no more than $25, and then prepare a no-cook meal for a family of four in less than 25 minutes. The lucky mom who won would get a gift card/shopping spree at the supermarket. In addition, the Vons Foundation would donate $1000 in the winner’s name to support breast cancer awareness.
I didn’t win, and yet neither did GlutenFreeAnna, even though October is also National Celiac Disease Awareness Month.
I made a beautiful Mexican Chicken Caesar Wrap with a mango side. Lifestyle expert, Tara Aronson, was our mistress of ceremonies and kept commenting on how fast I was chopping. I lost a finger somewhere during the 25 minutes (that’s okay – November 7th is Lost Digit Awareness Day) and I think that may have had something do with my runner-up status. However, when I arrived home later in the afternoon, I checked my breasts for lumps (with my remaining fingers). Seriously. I also have a mammogram scheduled for October 15th.
From the American Cancer Society website:
The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 35 (about 3%). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.
DeAngelo Williams, the Carolina Panther running back, lost his three aunts to the disease. His mother is a breast cancer survivor. For NBCAM, he came up with the idea of NFL players wearing pink cleats during October. Pink cleats?! They’ll also be using pink towels, hats, wristbands and gloves. The game ball will have a pink ribbon decal affixed to it. See if you notice any women in the stands checking their bahama mammas inconspicuously.
The point: breast cancer awareness means more breast cancer survivors. Anecdotally, I have known five women in my large circle of friends and acquaintances who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Several years later, they are ALL survivors.
You’ll be seeing a lot of pink ribbons around town over the course of the next 31 days. Let it inspire you to check your breasts and schedule mammograms. Get your partner in on it and have them feel your ta-tas. Everyone loves breasts! Let’s work to keep them healthy.
More throughout October on NBCAM.
Disclaimer: in lieu of my participation in the Vons/Pavilions “no-cook” Cook-Off Challenge, I received a gift card to the supermarket also. Tom Keller was nice enough to give us a tour of the store and point out their three price offerings on various items – the old price, the new lower price and the even lower Club Price. Pretty soon, they’re going to be giving their stuff away, although Keller did not say this. What he did say was that, in addition to breast cancer awareness (their homepage prominently displays the pink ribbon with suggestions on how to donate for a cure), Vons/Pavilions is also aware of unemployment and are trying their best to make groceries affordable. I believed him. He seemed sincere. Check out their “Thousands of new, everyday low prices” and then check your breasts.
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