Save the Tatas

Make no bones about it, I love boobies (no pun intended.. oh, bullshit! of course I meant the pun about bones - they’re boobs for crying out loud!). Now, before you go accusing me of being a complete pervert (even though, I kind of am), the purpose of my acknowledgement of my very typical heterosexual male response to breasts is to bring attention to a very important fact. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Having an aunt who is a survivor and a best friend whose aunt passed away from it, it is something that is important to me for more reasons that one (or, rather, two *grin*).

All kidding aside, according to breastcancer.org, one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2011 there were 230,480 new cases expected to be diagnosed, with another 57,650 cases of non-invasive breast cancer. In the U.S., the death rate for breast cancer is second only to lung cancer and, other than skin cancer, it is the most diagnosed form of cancer in women. Around 39,520 women were expected to die from breast cancer in 2011. And lest you think men are immune to it, 2,140 new cases of breast cancer in men were expected to be diagnosed last year.

There are many organizations that raise funds for breast cancer research. I encourage you to support them as much as you can. Even if all you do is tell your cashier at the grocery store “yes” when she asks if you would like to add a dollar to your total to support whichever organization that store is supporting, do it! It’s only a dollar, and it’s a very important cause. I don’t often add the dollar, but when it’s for breast cancer awareness, I always say yes. There are also several organizations that raise awareness by selling t-shirts, bracelets and other items that you can use to show your support. Pick one; send them a check; buy a t-shirt - do something!

And remember - boobs are proof that men can focus on two things at once ;-)

Organizations and Charities that Support Breast Cancer Awareness and Research

Susan G. Komen for the Cure - http://ww5.komen.org/

Ford’s Warriors in Pink - http://www.warriorsinpink.ford.com/ - you can buy a t-shirt and designate which charity/organization you prefer the proceeds to go to

Save the Tatas - http://www.savethetatas.com/ - t-shirts, bracelets, stickers, etc. to show your support in a whimsical sort of way

Save Second Base - http://save2ndbase.com/ - another whimsical set of shirts and accessories

If you know of other organizations (as I’m sure there are more than the ones I’ve listed here), please share in the comments.

~ JC