Freestone County Schools have been having their Pink Out activities ongoing this month, and in honor of that The “Times” wanted to give a small look at the history.
Why do we use pink for breast cancer awareness? It is a positive, pretty and cheerful color. Everything that cancer is not.
The history of the ribbon itself dates back to 1979 when a woman tied yellow ribbons in her yard to show how much she missed her husband who was a hostage taken in Iran.
Ribbons slowly became a part of our world for a variety of causes, so much in fact that in 1992 the New York Times declared it “The Year of the Ribbon.”
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation started using pink ribbons in 1991.
The following year, the magazine, Self, was working on its second annual Breast Cancer Month Awareness issue.
In a flash of inspiration the editor in chief of Self, Alexandra Penney, decided to use a ribbon to make that year even bigger, than last years.
Estée Lauder and Self teamed up to distribute these newly created ribbons on store counters nation-wide.
As issues with an activist who used peach ribbon became a problem, Self’s attorneys simply suggested to use a different color ribbon.
Pink. Not just any pink would do, though.
Estée Lauder’s ‘150 pink’ was ordered in a grosgrain ribbon. Time has lost record of who did the ordering, or even the decision of that particular color.
Pink symbolizes healthy, it once was considered very feminine and it is a pretty color. Pink is, EVERYTHING breast cancer is NOT. Pink is the long-term goal – no more cancer.
Fall 1992, Estée Lauder handed out 1.5 million ribbons, and in turn over 200,000 petitions were signed urging the White House to increase funding on breast cancer research.
The following year Avon decided to join in the battle on breast cancer with their pink ribbon pin.
As time marched forward, the pink ribbon quickly became more popular.
In 1999, Zeta Tau Alpha approached the Redskins about doing a breast cancer awareness event during an October game. 8,000 handmade pink ribbons were passed out.
Fast forward ten years. June 2009 Terry Meyer lost her battle with breast cancer. Meyer’s daughter, Ellese, wanted to honor her mother.
Turn the football stadium pink, was the idea she came up with; or rather to PINK OUT the stadium.
October 30, 2009 forty-two different schools in Pennsylvania participated in PINK OUT, and raised $15,000.
While this might not be the first Pink Out, it is a well documented one, and was the first in that area.
When October rolls around, and the pink comes out, just remember, how we got here, and why it is so important for us to remember what pink really means.
