Breast Cancer Awareness Month: What is Wear It Pink day and how can I join?

Event has raised more than £33 million for breast cancer research since 2002

Wear It Pink day falls on 20 October (Breast Cancer Now)

Wear It Pink is an annual event which sees fundraisers wear bright pink ensembles as they raise money for breast cancer care and research. In 2020 the event is taking place on Friday 23 October.

It is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK, raising millions of pounds over the course of its 17-year history.

Here is everything you need to know about Wear It Pink:

When is it?

This year, Wear It Pink takes place on Friday 23 October.

The date of the event coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which occurs in October and has been taking place since 1985.

Wear It Pink was first conceived by breast cancer research and care charity Breast Cancer Now in 2002.

Over the past 17 years, the fundraising efforts of those who have participated has helped to raise more than £33 million for breast cancer research.

How does Wear It Pink help raise awareness of breast cancer?

In order to partake in Wear It Pink, all you need to do is register at wearitpink.org, wear pink on the day and donate to charity.

All the money raised on the day is donated towards vital breast cancer research and support.

You can raise money by doing activities or simply asking for donations from friends, family and colleagues.

Lottie Barnden, head of mass participation at Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now, explains the importance of the mass fundraising event.

“Every year in the UK, around 55,000 women and around 350 men are given the devastating news that they have breast cancer,” Ms Barnden says.

“Despite great strides in research, around 11,500 women and 80 men still die from breast cancer every year – that’s nearly one death every 45 minutes.

Ms Barden states that Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now currently fund approximately a third of all breast cancer research in the UK.

“Without the generosity of Wear It Pink supporters we simply cannot continue to fund this crucial research and support, for all those affected by breast cancer now, and in the future.”

How does the money raised during Wear It Pink benefit people diagnosed with breast cancer?

Becca, from Crawley, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2017.

She explains that without scientific research and advances in breast cancer, her prognosis “could have been very different”.

“Since I was diagnosed, I’ve become aware of so many families that have been affected by this devastating disease,” she says.

“I’ve already lost two friends to breast cancer and two more are living with a secondary, incurable diagnosis.

“I have been supported all the way through my journey, and now I feel the need to channel my energy into something positive,” Becca adds.

To find out how you can take part in Wear It Pink, visit the event’s website here.

To learn more about early signs of breast cancer and how to spot them, click here.

To find out how to carry out a self-examination, click here.