October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Pink is everywhere: in retail stores, on NFL players, and even the lights on our downtown Chicago buildings are pink.

 As our show of support, Midtown is holding an exciting fundraiser to support breast cancer research. 

I am fortunate in that I don’t have any family members or friends who have battled the disease. But since I am a woman, and do my best to stay healthy, I thought I would start with the basics: to learn more about this disease and why we need a full month to create awareness. 

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebrated its 25th anniversary back in 2009.  The organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services. 

According to the NBCAM, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., aside from skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the US this year. An estimated 40,170 women are expected to die from the disease in 2009 alone.

Today, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S.

And it doesn’t just affect women. 

Men can also develop breast cancer.  Although men have less breast tissue than women, they do have breast cells that can undergo cancerous changes. Male breast cancer makes up less than 1 percent of all cases of breast cancer, and is usually detected in men between 60 and 70 years of age.

So if you’re like me, and you want to do more than wear a pink t-shirt and socks but you’re not sure how to help, you’re in luck! 

We have a few different events coming up at the Club that you can participate in.  The first one is our special Zumba class, Get Your Pink On.  It’s taking place on Wednesday, October 26th, at 9:30am.  It is open to the public and our members are encouraged to bring a friend.  Donations for the class are accepted from 10/22 – 10/28.

All proceeds go to Open Arms, the breast cancer outreach and education fund supported by Hinsdale Hospital’s Foundation.  Open Arms focuses on sustaining programs designed to support breast cancer patients and their families. Their goal is to bring hope and healing by helping families navigate the difficult journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.  So you know your donations will help local patients.

If you cannot attend the class or are just not ready to shake your stuff in Zumba, you can also make a donation anytime at the front desk between 10/22 – 10/28. 

You will receive a balloon to put on the window of the group exercise studio to show your support.  You can also purchase raffle tickets for baskets that were donated by Whole Foods, Hinsdale Hospital, and the Club, including a Pilates basket and a personal training basket.  The raffle tickets are $5 and can also be purchased at the front desk.

So support breast cancer research and survivors. 

And let’s kick this disease in the butt!