In case you haven’t noticed by the abundance of fundraising walks/runs or pink that’s popping up everywhere, be it in the world of sports (bats, cleats, gloves, etc.) or fashion (tons of ribbons), we’re neck-deep in Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Make no mistake that awareness for this disease is crucial and comes in the form of early detection, genetic susceptibility or making proper lifestyle choices. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, it will claim approximately 40,000 American lives this year alone and more than 226,000 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year in U.S. women and nearly 2,200 in U.S. men. It’s easy to get caught up in becoming a slacktivist when you think sporting a pink ribbon for the month is making any kind of inroads against this disease when the reality is that discussing the causes and prevention of breast cancer is a far more productive way of battling breast cancer. For many, it’s far too easy for October to become an annual version of the ice bucket challenge.
—Dave Gil de Rubio
