Business & Tech

Shop and Drink Pink in the Sacramento Area to Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with special events and promotions and retailers everywhere selling pink products. But, do your pink purchases always go toward the cause? Here are some tips on how to make sure.

A wave of pink is flooding stores everywhere, as retailers participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the savvy shopper, it's an opportunity to donate to a good cause while snagging unique, pink-hued items.

In Roseville, $1 from your pink cocktail at Fat's Asia Bistro this month will go toward the American Cancer Society. They've created a Pink Ribbon Martini for $8 that supports Team LoveMyFats and the society.

At all Mikuni locations, proceeds from buying a pink ribbon Mikuni T-shirt for $20 will go to Sutter Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Navigator Program.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

At the Westfield Galleria at Roseville, Brighton Collectibles is selling their Power of Pink Bracelets this month, where $10 will be donated to Sutter Roseville Medical Center's Breast Health Center.

“We are committed to doing our part to help with breast cancer prevention and finding a cure,” said Brighton Assistant Manager Bethanie McKinney, in a news release.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Also this month, you can pick up pink-skinned pumpkins in support of breast cancer research. The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds breast cancer research, will have a bunch of pink pumpkins for sale at Walmart, Safeway, Home Depot, Raley's, SaveMart and local pumpkin farms like Dave's Pumpkin Patch in West Sacramento.

A portion of sales will go back to research organizations involved in finding a breast cancer cure.

Of course, lots of other businesses are also showing pink products this month and promising donations with every sale. But before you plunk down your green for some pink, the nonprofits behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month want you to check the label.

Jenna Glazer, director of development for Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a global organization dedicated to helping young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, said that buyers should be on the lookout for a label or tag that tells where the money from the purchase goes.

"If you walk into Bed Bath & Beyond and see something with a pink ribbon and no information about where the money is going, chances are it doesn't benefit the cause," she said.

Glazer said the best way for consumers to ensure that pink products are legit is to visit the non-profit's website for a list of its partners. YSC, which is based in New York City, lists Oakley, Nutra Nail, Liv/giant bikes, Ford and Urban Outfitters as some of its partners.

The amount of money donated to the nonprofit is also key, Glazer said. With YSC's partnership with Oakley, for instance, $20 from each pair of sunglasses goes right to the nonprofit, which offers resources, connections and outreach to young women with breast cancer. 

And for a group like YSC, which is on the smaller end of the spectrum of breast cancer awareness groups such as Susan G. Komen For the Cure, the check it receives is just part of the benefit. Each time YSC partners with a company, Glazer said, "It raises the profile of nonprofit and gets the word out to the people who need us."

Here are a few pink products available online that breast cancer nonprofits are putting their names behind:

  • The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) has partnered with Barnes & Noble, which is offering a pink leather Nook cover with a stitched ribbon for about $35, with $5 going to the foundation.
  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure sells its own official merchandise on its website. It has pink leather business card holders for $15 each, as well as candles, coasters, neckties and car accessories.
  • Hard Rock will celebrate its thirteenth season of Pinktober with a variety of merchandise, including a pink honeycomb robe for $80. 75 percent of the profits from each item sold goes to the Caron Keating Foundation.

Some retailers don't enter contracts with nonprofits but still donate a portion of their proceeds. Team Cheer, a website that offers gear for cheerleaders, is donating 5 percent of its pink profits to BCRF. From socks to bows to briefs, the company's Cheer for a Cure collection includes products from $5 to about $25. You won't see it advertised on the BCRF website, but according to foundation staff, Team Cheer has made donations for the past two years.

If you think a pink product is suspicious or you are wondering about the relationship between the company and the cause, give the non-profit a call. Representatives are usually happy to verify whether a company is really giving.

"I've actually gotten Google alerts and seen people say they are partnering with us and they aren't," Glazer said, adding that she follows up on those alerts and asks for a check from the retailer that made the claim. Sometimes, she said, retailers were unaware that they needed a contract with YSC and will send along the check happily.

But in some cases, she said, "I never hear back from them."

SHARE: If you have a favorite pink product that benefits Breast Cancer Awareness Month, share it here. Just click the green upload button.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Dixon