October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month… I had a friend mention to me once that she thought it was silly to have “awareness months” about causes that we are all already aware of. I mean – who out there, if you mentioned breast cancer, would say, “hmmm, tell me more. I’m not aware of such a thing.” So I understood what she meant. But – Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about so much more than just the basic job of educating people about what breast cancer is, and how to prevent it. It’s a time to really focus on making a difference – By raising money, bringing attention to the research that’s being done to move towards a cure, and celebrating the stories of the women who are working towards beating this scary stuff. A couple weeks ago I told you the story of how breast cancer had touched my life, and why this is an important cause to me. Today, I have more info about a great way that you can help “make strides to save lives” too!

“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Channing

I’m sure that almost all of you ladies reading this have had your life touched in some way by breast cancer – whether it was an old high school friend who recently was diagnosed, or a family history of it, so many women are diagnosed with this cancer each year that most of us have a story to tell.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is a little less 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36.

Those are some pretty scary statistics, right? The numbers are even higher than I had imagined. But, with new treatments and advances in technology being developed every day, thanks to funding form groups like The American Cancer Society and events like the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, more people are able to beat the odds. There are more than 2½ million breast cancer survivors in the United States alone! So – what is this Making Strides walk? It’s a totally amazing way to show support, get support, and help raise money for a cure. Learn more…

“The future you see is the future you get.” – Robert G Allen

If you can picture a world without breast cancer – and with more birthdays! – then join me in supporting the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and the American Cancer Society. You can visit their site and search for a walk in your city to sign up for, join a team, or even find a specific participant. If you aren’t able to walk, you can still help out – Even if you’re on a tight budget, anyone can skip tomorrow mornings cup of coffee to donate $5 bucks. Or – fill out a form on their site, and learn how your $25 donation can be doubled to $50 in a few simple steps! Or learn more about being a volunteer – there are loads of options and support.

One in every two women newly diagnosed with breast cancer reaches out to the American Cancer Society for help and support. We are in every community providing free information and services when and where people need it.

You can learn more about the million ways that The American Cancer Society is helping women across the country every day by visiting their How Donations Save Lives page. They help stay healthy by educating them about prevention, and offering free screenings. They are there to support women emotionally, whether it’s transportation assistance to doctor’s appointmens, or their free classes with beauty tips for cancer patients. And they help to raise money for ALL types of cancer research, not just breast cancer. Truly, they are an amazing group, and definitely deserve all of our support!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s nationwide series of walking events to raise funds and awareness to end breast cancer.

{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by the American Cancer Society (ACS) via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Photo credit: Obihave on Flickr.}