Pink Campaign raises R560 000 for breast cancer survivors
ROSEBANK – A cheque for the Pink Campaign was handed over to Reach for Recovery.
The Power of Pink campaign, which aims to support disadvantaged breast cancer survivors raised R560 000 last year.
The campaign is a partnership between Reach for Recovery, the South African Mushroom Farmers Association and Pick n Pay saw pink mushroom punnets being sold from October, which is breast cancer month.
The majority of the money raised goes toward providing prosthetic breasts to breast cancer survivors. Reach for Recovery, which is a voluntary organisation, believes that these breasts can make a huge impact on survivors.
Currently, the government does not provide breast prostheses to women who have had a mastectomy.
Reach for Recovery’s management board chairperson, Stephné Jacobs said, “Women in low-income categories, diagnosed with breast cancer deserve the same access to support services as anyone else as these services could be life-saving, literally and figuratively.”
The prosthesis is called a ‘Ditto’ which means the same as. Worn inside a bra, the prosthesis passes a ‘hug test’ and looks and feels completely natural.
“No one can understand the self-esteem, financial and family challenges these breast cancer survivors face unless they have walked a mile in the shoes of our volunteers.”
The reason for the Pink mushroom punnets as a means to raise money and awareness for breast cancer is because mushrooms are linked to preventing cancer.
Martmari van Greuning, who is a doctor and member of Samfa said, “There is great public awareness of the link between a healthy diet which includes an increased consumption of vegetables and whole grains, and cancer prevention.”
Van Greuning added that mushrooms have, over the years, become more appreciated for their health benefits. She said that mushrooms are very high in antioxidants, enhance the immune system and contain specific chemicals which inhibit breast cancer.
Ross Richardson, the chairperson of the South African Mushroom Farmers Association, said that the process of getting the mushrooms into stores takes about six months. “First we begin the talks with Gareth [O’Connell, the produce buyer for Pick n Pay] and then we’ve got to get the colour, which is important and manufacture the punnets and decide how many we’re going to try to sell and which stores they will go into.”
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