NFL players proudly wear pink

The NFL has joined forces with the American Cancer Society to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.

What comes to mind when you think of October? Perhaps the color of fall leaves or the bright orange pumpkin on your neighbor's front porch. And of course, those cute little trick-or-treaters that show up on your doorstep every Halloween.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees warms up before an Oct. 4 NFL football game against the New York Jets in New Orleans.

With its official designation as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), October is unofficially the "pink" month and has become a powerful source of breast cancer awareness and financial support for those organizations and individuals working to end the disease.

So how did the month come to be? I've always been fascinated with the history of these kinds of large-scale events. Surprisingly, BCAM was founded in 1985 by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company that manufactures breast cancer drugs, as a way to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

And the pink ribbon? The Susan G. Komen Foundation was the first to use the pink ribbon back in 1991, handing out pink ribbons to participants in the NYC breast cancer survivor race. The Estee Lauder Companies carried this concept forward with the creation of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation with the pink ribbon as its symbol in 1993. Thanks to a combination of public and private partnerships and initiatives over the years, BCAM has grown to an international campaign that is responsible for generating millions of dollars for breast cancer research and awareness each year.

The point of all this?
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'll be highlighting people and organizations every week that have taken an innovative stand against the disease.

To kick this off, props must first go to the National Football League who teamed with the American Cancer Society for their "A Crucial Catch" campaign, which emphasizes the importance of annual breast cancer screenings, especially for women who are over the age of 40.

As part of the campaign, be prepared to see a whole lotta pink says the NFL:


"NFL games will feature players, coaches and referees wearing pink game apparel to raise awareness for the campaign. All apparel worn at games by players and coaches and special K-balls and pink coins will be auctioned off at NFL Auction (www.NFLAuction.NFL.com), with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society and team charities."

So now you know not to be too surprised to see these manly men wearing pink over the next several weeks.