As Halloween approaches, many of us take our annual trip to the local farm for some festive pumpkin picking with the family.  But don’t be too fast to throw the away the jack-o-lanterns after Halloween!

Pumpkins, along with other vegetables in the same color family such as carrots, red and yellow peppers, and sweet potatoes, are great sources of beta carotene which can help to reduce the risk of many types of cancer.

Since diet is one of the most controllable ways to reduce your risk for breast cancer, do your best to incorporate these and other fruits and vegetables when you’re cooking.  Canned pumpkin is just as good according to experts, so go ahead and add some to your pancake batter, make a soup or roast some fresh pieces in the oven.   For a great pumpkin pie recipe from The Food Network’s Paula Dean click HERE.

I know my daughter will have a great time scooping out the seeds and guts from our pumpkins on Sunday!  ;-)

Oh the adventures of a program educator! We are nearing the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month and we’ve been extremely busy!  Besides a very successful fundraising event at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ on October 22^nd, we’ve been doing tons of programs.

I was looking for the Catholic Daughter of America on Monday night, and I stumbled into a Narcotics Anonymous meeting by mistake! Lol. Two guys in the meeting were very helpful though, and they helped me find where I was supposed to be.

I also endured the snow in Connecticut (yes, it was snowing there in October!!) to lecture at Boehringer Ingelheim.  It was worth it though because the program was well received.

My coworker said October is like Black Friday for a breast health educator, and she is completely right.  Busy busy busy!!

Susan Simon

Program Educator

Recently, a Springfield Massachusetts man was penalized for wearing a pink tie to work to show support for Breast Cancer awareness.   William Jones, 46, faced a one-day suspension for breaking the Springfield MA Transit District’s dress code.

St. John’s Hospital and the American Cancer Society have been promoting the  “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign, encouraging men to wear pink on Fridays in October as a reminder for women to get annual mammograms.

Jones had several female members of his family battle cancer, including his grandmother and sister. The strange part about Bill’s suspension is that the SMTD’s managing director is a woman. She should have been supporting her fellow co-worker for taking a stand against Breast Cancer!

Jone’s suspension is disheartening… he was simply trying to promote Breast Cancer Awareness month, and should be commended for taking a stand against Breast cancer!

A memo was issued on October 7th stating that employees could wear pink  on Fridays in October in recognition of Breast Cancer Month, but Jones still had to serve his suspension. He is also filing a grievance for being suspending and being singled out.

More men should be wearing pink on Friday– Kudos to you, Bill! You are a hero in our book! Pink ties rock!

The Maurer Foundation has started to develop an NYC social committee in efforts to get young professionals involved in breast health education in fun engaging ways. Our social kick off was huge SUCCESS last night at Brother Jimmy’s. Over 75 people came out to support the new committee and raised over $1000 in a two hour time period. Our social committee also has some great events coming up in the near future including a possible ski trip and a summer beach benefit. Special thanks go out to our social co-chairs and the staff at Brother Jimmy’s!

If you would like to get involved or find out more about the social committee please contact; Morgan Evans mvans@maurerfoundation.org.

Our numbers have come in from our 14th Annual Golf Classic, The Maurer Foundation raised over $130k. At The Maurer Foundation we rely on your contributions to enable us to deliver our lifesaving messages through our educational outreach programs. We are so grateful for everyone who contributed to such a fun day!

A special THANK YOU goes out to the gentlemen who were the winners of our 50/50 raffle and donated back their winnings to The Maurer Foundation:

1st Prize $1,487.50 was Alan Kelly (Hofstra)
2nd Prize $1,041.25 was Bruce Treiber (Treiber Group)
3rd Prize $446.25 was Tom Poole (Hallen Construction)

Morgan
Manager of Communications and Brand Development

October has been a whirlwind! Everything is pink and our educators have been out every single day spreading the word about early detection and the risk factors for breast cancer. One of the risk factors being lack of exercise. It’s essential to get about 5 hours of exercise per week to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Another risk factor is previous breast cancer history, so it’s important to take care of yourself even after breast cancer diagnosis. I recently came across a great site called Yoga Bear. Yoga is a great workout. In fact, many of us here at TMF regularly participate in it.

Yoga Bear is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing cancer survivors with more opportunities for wellness and healing through the practice of yoga. They provide so many great resources for survivors and helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Keep up the great work!

Helen Galarza
Bilingual Program Educator

Hey there fashionistas! As you may already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and there are lots of great shops donating to the cause—that’s right, you can look fabulous AND contribute to a very worthy cause. Stores like shopbop.com and Bloomingdale’s have some great offers going on right now. Here are our picks for October:

1. The Elizabeth and James Breast Cancer Awareness necklace. The gorgeous rose-gold plated feather necklace features a whimsical design sure to complement the current boho-trend. Super cute. Leaves and feathers are very  IT right now. Only on shopbop.com

2.The little pink bag at Bloomingdale’s—it’s the cutest thing ever! The PVC tote is in the signature bloomie’s block lettering.

3.Bobbi Brown’s Pink Ribbon Collection. Featuring a glittery lip balm and creamy lipstick.

4.Key to the Cure tee at Saks Fifth Avenue. Designed by Michael Kors featuring what looks to be a rose petal motif

Have fun shopping!

–Gayatri

“A Crucial Catch” is The National Football League’s new campaign to raise breast cancer awareness during the month of October.  A game-time public service announcement by Fergie, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, will remind fans of the importance of regular breast cancer screening.  At upcoming games, NFL staff will be sporting pink apparel, tossing pink coins at the start of games and even running into pink goal post padding!  Much of this game-worn merchandise will be auctioned off at www.NFLAuction.NFL.com

We are so grateful the NFL recognizes that breast cancer is a disease that effects not only women, but everyone from the patients to their families.

Thank you!!!

The Maurer Foundation’s 14th Annual Golf Classic took place on Tuesday, October 6^th at the Meadow Brook Country Club in Jericho, NY. The event kicked off with a shotgun start at 11:30am followed by a silent auction , raffles and awards dinner. We are very grateful for the support of our sponsors, volunteers and staff that helped to make this outing a success.

Donna

We talk so much about raising awareness and raising money, but really when was your last breast self exam?

To learn how click here  

-Kathy