Mission Pink Event - Breast Cancer Awareness with Susan G. Komen and The Outlets at Orange

Happy Monday!

Last week I was invited by my blogger friend Samira from Stylemesamira.com to attend an event at the Outlets at Orange in Orange, CA (outside of LA, Orange county) to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer with the Susan G. Komen Foundation through out the entire month of October, called "Mission Pink" (#MissionPink). I'm sure you have heard that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and a lot of people have been donning pink (or some purple) in support.

Ever since I was in high school, I was taking part of "Team Walk for Cancer Care" in my hometown, and we would fundraise and walk every year for Cancer research and awareness. As a graduate student and scientist working on biochemistry research, I am fully supportive of raising awareness and funds for research for breast cancer - a particularly tough disease that affects more people than you would expect. Did you know that one case of breast cancer is diagnosed every two minutes?! The statistics are astonishing, and while I do not directly do breast cancer research, laboratories need funding in order to make the breakthroughs and finding cures! Basic research (and translational research) is so important in determining mechanisms and proteins involved in disease pathology, that government cuts in funding are only pushing us back in eventually finding cures.

Simon, the parent corporation for the Outlets at Orange, set up several events throughout the month to raise funds, with a guaranteed donation minimum of $250,000 (Score! Do you know how much research that can fund?!?! Amazing!) to fund research and "support women, men and families suffering from breast cancer, and move toward a world with no breast cancer," said Dr. Judy Salerno, Komen President and CEO.

The event I went to was a Mission Pink - Yelp Elite Combined event, with a cool fashion show in which models from various retailers at the Outlets displayed pops of pink color to show their support in Mission Pink. There was free food, music, open bar, and various raffles and contests to win free stuff! It was rather cool! There was also a "wall of strength," in which a $1 donation, survivors, families and friends wrote their message of strength on a laminated "brick" and posted their picture.

Not only during this event but throughout the rest of the month the Wall of Strength is on display outside of the AMC Court (where this event was held), that has a pink display and randomly selected shoppers will be surprised with Mission Pink treats! So get shopping! There is also a voucher program going on, where $10 voucher cards are available, that will offer 25% off one item at participating retailers and all (100%!!) of proceeds will benefit Komen. How great.

Do I think that there will ever be a single cure-all for cancer? No. But I do believe in personalized medicine, which can target each person's unique case, as no two cases of cancer are identical. This is already in effect for various types of cancer, and would be wonders to target different cases of breast cancer. If we have the money to do this research, we can cure breast cancer. We can turn this into a world with no cancer! The government just has to prioritize where the funding should go - but until then, we can all contribute to funding for breast cancer research.

Info on The Outlets at Orange if you are in the LA area:
www.theoutletsatorangelc.om, twitter: @outletsatorange and facebook.com/outletsatorange.

All opinions are 100% by me, I was not paid to write this post, but invited to the event and felt it is important to spread the word!

Do let me know your thoughts. Have you or a loved one been affected by breast cancer or any other type of cancer? Do you wish more funding went towards research? Have you been to any other events for breast cancer awareness this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great week ahead!

xo
Andrea

PS. As always you can follow me on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM! 

P.P.S. remember: I have a firmoo giveaway going on still! Be sure to enter HERE!!