Think Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness Events Near Madison

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and whether you love to shop, attend events, walk or run, there are tons of different ways to support the cause. Check out the list below of opportunities to go pink near Madison:

On Saturday, at 6:30 a.m. at 150 College Street in Old Saybrook, CT the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation (TBBCF) will sponsor the 7th annual Walk Across Southeastern CT.

This year walkers may choose a quarter marathon (6.55 miles), a half marathon (13.1 miles) or our signature full marathon (26.2 miles).

Opening ceremonies begin at 6:30 a.m. at Saybrook Point, Old Saybrook with feet on the pavement at 7:00 a.m. Starting in Old Saybrook, full marathon walkers will walk the scenic route along the shoreline through Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, and East Lyme ending in Waterford.

Half marathon walkers start at Capital Drive, East Lyme at 10:30 a.m. and quarter marathon walkers start at the Niantic Baptist Church, Niantic at 1:00 p.m.

All walks complete at Camp Harkness, Waterford, with closing ceremonies at 3:30 p.m.

New this year is a youth, 12-18 year old, fundraising commitment of only $100 for any distance walk. This will encourage youth to get out and walk, raise funds for breast cancer research and have fun together!

New this year too is the option to TEAM-UP! Form a Youth Walk Team of 8 or more 12-18 year olds with a Youth Walk Coach and register as a Youth Walk Team. The Youth Walk Coach has no fundraising commitment! Or, gather your friends, family and co-workers and walk as a team. Both team options give you the ability to raise and share the funds among your team members to meet your team’s fundraising commitment!

To register to walk, to volunteer that day, or to contribute to a registered walker, please visit www.tbbcf.org or call 860-245-0402.

TBBCF is a local non-profit committed to fighting breast cancer by donating100% of gross fundraising dollars directly to breast cancer research.  Over the last six years through donations and fundraising efforts the Foundation has funded 21 grants totaling over $2 million to promising breast cancer researchers from such organizations as Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

The American Cancer Society has also announced that five Connecticut communities will be hosting Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k walks during the month of October.

Sunday, October 14, 2012      Litchfield and New Haven

Sunday, October 21, 2012      Hartford and Westport

Sunday, October 28, 2012      New London County (Waterford)

Survivor Receptions: Each walk site will begin the day with a complimentary reception for breast cancer survivors and those who have cared for them throughout their diagnosis and treatment.  There will be informative presentations, information on how the Society is working to build awareness through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and complimentary refreshments.

Walk with Friends and Form a “Team"

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has no registration fee, but encourages contributions through online registration and donor support. To learn how you can join Making Strides Against Breast Cancer visit www.makingstrideswalk.org or call 800-227-2345.

There are even more ways to spread breast cancer awareness this month by supporting national organizations that are fighting for a cure.

Research centers like Susan G. Komen for the Cure are selling pink ribbon merchandise and it’s a twofer — retail therapy and donating to a cause that affects millions.

You can also support breast cancer research by affixing a special stamp to your mail. The U.S. Postal Service has been selling a stamp commemorating breast cancer awareness for the past 15 years. The agency has raised $75 million so far for research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.

The American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is organized nationwide and so far more than 8 million people have walked for this cause and raised about $460 million.

And you can join people from four continents in a Race for the Cure event organized by Susan G. Komen For The Cure, or an Avon Walk For Breast Cancer event organized by the Avon Foundation for Women.

TELL US: Is there a special event you participate in to support breast cancer research? Share your stories and thoughts with us by adding them to the comments sections of this article. Also, be sure to add photos of you and your friends supporting the cause to the photo gallery above.

Here are some other events in Connecticut and nationwide. If you know anyone in any of these communities, let them know!

You could attend an inspirational luncheon in Derby, CT to commemorate women who have been working tirelessly to spread breast cancer awareness. Your ticket would help the Griffin Hospital/Valley Breast Care Fund ensure that no one is ever denied a mammogram or diagnostic testing for breast cancer. Events such as the Women Rock Women’s Retreat in Eau Claire, WI, and Beats for Boobs in Seattle, WA bring art, fashion, music and food to local venues to raise money for breast cancer research, care and awareness.

If cycling’s more your thing, head to Tallahassee, FL, Cedar Rapids, IA, Cambridge, MN or Nashua, NH for the 7th annual bike ride, held by various bike shops to spread breast cancer awareness.

The Pink Ribbons program in Atlanta, GA, is organizing its annual fashion show and luncheon. The event is a great way to discover what’s in style this season and to raise money for breast cancer awareness. This event also features a fashion show where breast cancer survivors strut down the runway. Team Angels Foundation, based in Michigan, hosts a yearly dinner and fashion show to help spread the message that breast cancer can affect both men and women.

If you’re in the market for a wedding dress, or just enjoy wedding fashion, then mark your calendar for Brides Against Breast Cancer's wedding dress fashion show in Baltimore, MD.

Addicted to Zumba? Join other Zumba enthusiasts at the Party in Pink™ Zumbathon® in Brookline, MA, and enjoy a workout while making your donation.

Walks are the most popular events held to spread awareness. Sista Strut in St.Louis, MO, aims to increase awareness among people of color through their annual 3K walk. Or you could join the two-mile Cure Breast Cancer Foundation walk in Verona, NJ.

There’s also the 5K walk/run organized by the Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer in New York.  You could help raise money for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation by signing up for their 5K walk in Rhode Island. There is also the Walk to Fight Breast Cancer in Alexandria, VA. And the PA Breast Cancer Coalition in Pennsylvania has walks and running events almost every Saturday in October.

If you’re looking for a night full of fun, music and dance, then the Pink Carpet Gala, organized by the JD Breast Cancer Foundation in Cleveland, OH, might be your kind of event. To celebrate and honor survivors, the gala will also have makeovers. 

Get your dose of beer and sauerkraut—and donate to the Pretty in Pink Foundation at the same time—at OktoberFest in Wilmington, NC. And for those looking for an old-fashioned pub crawl with rock music thrown in, a series of concerts by Rockers4Knockers in South Carolina would be fun way to spend a Sunday.