a pinkathon!

last friday i was fortunate enough to have good friends wake me up and share a very special occasion with me. the burjuman safe & sound pinkathon was taking place and even though it was just a 2k walk at a lousy 8:30am, it was full of energy and love for the cause. having very dear ones of mine lose their life to the disease has made it a very sentimental experience and is something i want to be a part of forever.

despite the exuberant event, something was brought to my attention - the rise of the general angst towards breast cancer awareness initiatives. the documentary pink ribbons was dedicated to highlighting the faults that society undeniably has regardless of the act of kindness it's attempting to promote. if you think about it, breast cancer awareness has become somewhat of a business - any corporation that happens to associate itself with it manages to have their marketing approach down and attain the desired reach. is it strictly philanthropic and for the good of the cause? do all the profits really go to awareness and research, or is it just a small portion. is it helping?

i like to believe that while yes, corporations might be abusing the ribbon, people are becoming more aware and interested in taking their own initiatives, be it raising money or promoting check-ups. corporations might be "stealing" the proceeds, but as long as they are still donating to the cause, i'd rather that over nothing. i haven't done as much research as i should have to make judgements and my perspective might alter greatly after watching the documentary, but it's something to think about.

xx