Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month With Pink Towels

October is breast cancer awareness month. About one in eight women will develop breast cancer, which remains the deadliest form of cancer for women. If you run a restaurant, hotel, spa or any business catering to women, switching to pink towels for the month is one way you can help raise awareness.

Pink Towels and Your Business

Switching to pink towels for the month of October is a nice way to remind visitors and employees of breast cancer awareness. You can use pink towels in a few ways:

• Raise money for breast cancer charities, asking every guest using the pink towels to donate to the cause.
• Donate money based on the number of visitors you have, using pink towels to remind them where the money is going.
• Hand out breast cancer self-exam pamphlets near your pink towels to remind guests of ways to detect cancer early.
• Have signs around your business and more pink items — including pink towels — to remind visitors it is breast cancer awareness month.

However you incorporate pink towels into your business, it’s a way to remind everyone of the importance of continuing to pursue research and action to reduce the mortality rates of breast cancer. With so many people touched by this type of cancer, it’s a nice way to show you care. If you run a spa, short-term rental or hotel, including a breast self-exam pamphlet with pink towels can remind your guests to check for any signs of breast cancer when they get dressed or when they shower.

The History of Pink Ribbons

What is the significance of pink ribbons for breast cancer? The notion of using ribbons to raise awareness came about in 1979 when a woman named Penney Laingen began tying yellow ribbons around trees. Her goal was to raise awareness about her husband, who was being held as a hostage in Iran. After her story aired on the news, other people started wearing yellow ribbons. In the early 1990s, other groups used different colored ribbons to raise awareness about AIDS, lost children and a host of other causes.

In 1991, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation gave participants pink ribbons during its 1991 New York City race for breast cancer survivors. In previous years, the group had handed out hot pink visors to participants — so the use of ribbons was in keeping with tradition.

In 1992, the editor of Self magazine was putting together a story for breast cancer awareness month. The magazine wanted to work with Charlotte Haley, who was lobbying legislators by making and sending out peach-colored ribbons. Haley wanted people to wear the ribbons to show their support for further breast cancer research. Self magazine hoped Haley would work with Estée Lauder executive Evelyn Lauder for the special issue, but ultimately Haley declined.

Self needed a new color ribbon, one they hoped to hand out at Estée Lauder cosmetics counters and feature in the magazine. Estée Lauder selected a basic pink known as “150 pink” for the ribbon to hand out with Estée Lauder purchases in support of the company’s Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Since that campaign, a bright pink ribbon has been associated with breast cancer awareness.

The color pink is significant in many ways. It is a feminine, hopeful color. When things are going well, we say “we’re in the pink.” Breast cancer tends to be frightening for many patients, and it can affect a woman’s sense of her own feminine identity. Pink is a color of defiance in the face of the disease.

Buy Pink Towels in Bulk

Since the early 1990s, it’s not just cosmetics companies who take on the pink ribbon. People use pink T-shirts, caps and other merchandise to raise awareness and money for the cause. If you already use towels at your business, why not freshen them up to show your support? You can also visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation to find out more about how you can get involved.

Towel Super Center makes it easy to buy economic or luxury pink towels in bulk and get them shipped to your business, office or home. Our 100% cotton hot pink hand towels and premium 100% cotton hot pink towels are two great options to show you care. With timely shipping, big savings on bulk orders and quality towels that are easy to wash, Towel Super Center makes it easy to support a great cause. Shop our towels online today and feel free to contact us with any questions.