Ten ways you can take action this October

Grab a friend and hit the streets on October 14th or 15th to collect donations and spread the breast cancer awareness message. We’ve got collection points all over the country, so dress up in your brightest pink outfit, start great conversations, and encourage everyone to give generously. Sign up here.

2. Exercise

Exercise decreases your breast cancer risk, and through these events, it can benefit others with cancer too. This October and November, you can join us at one of our Pink Star Walks in either Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch. It’s a great night out under the stars, with 5km and 21km walks to choose from. Get some mates together, make some pink costumes, and come out to party with us. Sign up here.

If you want to really challenge yourself, why not take on the Auckland Marathon, Half-Marathon or 12k Traverse? Set up a fundraising page and encourage your friends and family to sponsor you – you’ll be raising money for a good cause, and it’ll help you stick to that training programme! Sign up here.

3. Go shopping

Love to shop? Incredible brands like Estee Lauder, GHD and Pandora have supported us by producing Pink Products, so you can do good just by shopping. For every Pink Product you buy, part of the proceeds will go towards supporting Kiwi women with breast cancer. Go on – take a look at this year’s Pink Products.

4. Pink your ride

Love your car? Spruce it up with a little touch of pink! The wonderful folk at Bridgestone have designed snazzy “Pink Caps” to cover your tyre valves. You can get them online for just $2 or from any Bridgestone or Firestone outlet.

5. Have some fun at your workplace

Join Pink for a Day and fundraise at work! There are no limits to what you can do at your office to contribute to the cause. Cover your workplace in pink, encourage your colleagues to dress up, and hold fun events like morning teas or quizzes, all while raising vital funds for the NZBCF.

6. Spread the mammogram message with Boobeads

Pick up Boobeads for just $5 from Farmers, and spread the “find it before your feel it” message. The Boobead’s three pink baubles represent different sized breast cancer lumps – the smallest, at 2mm, is the smallest lump detected by a mammogram, and the largest, at 22mm, is the average sized lump that a woman would be able to feel.

Get one for yourself and give one to a friend – it’s a powerful reminder than regular screening can help find breast cancer early, well before a change can be seen or felt.

7. Sleep comfortably

Fancy a new bed, but can’t justify the cost? For the fourth consecutive year, Sealy is partnering with four high profile NZ women to produce stunning bed designs to raise money for the NZBCF to aid breast cancer research and development.

This year’s designers are Lorraine Downes, style and image consultant and former Miss Universe, broadcaster Stacey Morrison, cook, dietitian and My Food Bay co-founder Nadia Lim, and Silver Fern Maria Tutaia.

The four bespoke Sealy Posturepedic Exquisite beds with their one-off designs will be on TradeMe from October 17th. Don’t miss this opportunity to buy a new, top of the line bed for a bargain price, with the proceeds going to the NZBCF. Visit sealy.co.nz from October 1st for more details.

8. Get creative – come up with your own fundraising event

Are you taking on a tough challenge? Keen to put on a dinner party for your friends? Make your event into a fundraiser for the NZBCF, and spread important breast health messages around your family and friends. See what our champions are doing for a bit of inspiration, and sign up here.

9. Make a donation

Whether it’s online, in person during our street appeal, or through a fundraiser, your donations are vitally important for the work we do. No matter how big or how small, your money will go towards promoting breast health messages all over the country, supporting New Zealanders with breast cancer, and funding Kiwi researchers to develop new treatments and tests. For a full run-down of what the NZBCF is doing in your area, check out where your money goes and donate online here.

10. Take action against breast cancer in your own life

While you’re busy volunteering, training for an event or planning a fundraiser, don’t forget to look after yourself. Watch our video on how to check your breasts for signs of cancer, and if you notice anything unusual, see your doctor. For women aged 40 and over, get familiar with our recommendations on mammograms. Free mammograms start at 45, so make sure you’re booked in.