Vision Sports, Nyack Hospital Help Fight Breast Cancer

Think pink? It might be because it’s that time of year. Pink chocolate.  Pink bagels. Pink hair weaves. Pink sheets. Pink stilettos. And, of course, a boatload of pink ribbons.

Many businesses are in on the fight for the cure. Vision Sports in Pearl River held a truck pull in conjunction with the Nanuet High School Wrestling team and raised $5,000 for Avon Center for Breast Cancer Research.

Vision Sports employee Denise Serra was diagnosed a few years back with breast cancer. Her husband, Nanuet Coach Carmine Serra, came up with the idea for the truck pull. Denise Serra regularly works out with a member of the Pearl River Fire Department and a member of the Nanuet Fire Department.

“It was my husband’s idea,” Denise Serra told Patch. “My husband works with the wrestling team at school. He had decided, ‘why don’t we do a fire truck pull?’ So he talked to the guys I work out with, the school and the owner of the gym. We just got it together.”

“(Denise) got breast cancer a few years ago so she’s been championing a lot of these fundraisers,” said Robert Logano, owner of Vision Sports Club. “She’s been with us (Vision Sports Club) since the beginning. She wanted to do a fire truck pull. We have a great long parking lot for this. A lot of firemen and police officers are members so she asked some of the guys if they would do a fire truck pull.”

Nyack Hospital is raising awareness in Rockland County with Blow Away Breast Cancer all October. The campaign includes fundraising efforts to help provide proper breast care to women who are underserved in the county. Patricia Joseph, MD, Director, Breast and Women’s Health Prevention Services at Nyack Hospital will speak about early detection, protection from breast disease and the resources the hospital has to offer 9:30 a.m. Oct. 11.

The New York skyline is lit up with more than 40 buildings as part of the City in Pink. On Sept. 20, Estée Lauder spokeswoman Elizabeth Hurley flipped the switch and turned the Empire State Building pink.

Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Fla., is offering a “Get into Bed PINKTOBER.” Sign up before Oct. 22 for a “pink sheet” room complete with a pink robe.

New York restaurant owners are thinking pink and serving it up, too. “Be an epiCUREan” is a campaign to help raise money. Participating restaurants will identify a “pink” item on their menus and whenever that item is ordered, the breast cancer piggy bank gets money (through October). Washington, D.C. is having a similar dining program called Take a Bite out of Breast Cancer.

NASCAR wasn’t going to take a backseat to joining the cause. NASCAR painted a pace car pink and put a pink ribbon on it. They vowed to donate money for every lap the pace car had to take on the track. In September, one of the races was rained out and the laps of the pace car piled up.

“We are thrilled when a company decides to paint its building pink or when they allow women to take time off work for a mammogram or encourage them to get more information about breast cancer,” said Terry Music, chief mission delivery officer for the American Cancer Society.

“I want women to know the facts so we can end this once and for all,” she said. Music lost her mother to breast cancer and said early detection may have saved her.

Hanes® has been a long-time partner with the National Breast Cancer Foundation and added a comfort package on Facebook this year. It’s a customizable kit including a T-shirt meant to be given as a gift. Hanes will give a portion of profits to the cause.

“Comfort is more than just physical; it’s emotional, too,” said Sidney Falken, chief branding officer of Hanes. “We are proud to be partners with NBCF (National Breast Cancer Foundation) to help raise awareness of breast cancer and support a cause the Hanes consumer cares so deeply about.”

Land O’Lakes Purina Feed out of Pennsylvania put together 50 events aimed at educating women living in rural areas about breast cancer. They kicked off their Pink 50 with a Dash for Hope in Grantville, Pa., at the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

Certain lines of animal food packages were turned pink for the season. “We wanted to put emphasis on women taking care of themselves,” said Anita Hood, equine specialist with the company.

Maryland-based energy company, Sharp Energy, Inc., introduced a pink delivery truck. But that’s not all they deliver: Their customers also get information on breast cancer.

Estée Lauder continues to give support to the cause. “Together we are stronger. Together we can do more. Together we can find a cure,” Evelyn Lauder has said.

Macy’s and Panera Bread (some locations including Pittsburgh) also got in on the pink-ribbon action. Macy’s has chocolates and stuffed animals, and Panera is baking pink ribbon bagels during October, both to benefit breast cancer awareness.