Safe and Sound events pinks up Breast Cancer awareness this October

October, being the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, has always served as the highlight of the year-long campaign - which has successfully reached nearly 25 million people since it was launched in 1997.

As in previous years, this October also sees dedicated awareness and fund-raising events being held on three weekends, with the campaign's flagship 'BurJuman Pink Walkathon' taking place in early November.

This Friday, October 5th, will see the staging of the Breast Cancer Survivors Fashion Show. Now in its ninth year. this unique event has enabled the campaign to present to the community over 100 courageous personal stories of strength and victory against breast cancer.

All the models are survivors, of different ages, and from all walks of life. The show serves as a poignant platform for breast cancer survivors to champion Safe and Sound's key motto 'Early detection Saves Lives'.

The fashion show will take place at BurJuman, Level 1, opposite Virgin Megastore at 6.30 pm and will see 12 survivors take to the ramp - 8 of whom will be first-time participants. Each survivor will model high fashion garments and accessories provided by select BurJuman retailers including Aeropostale, Al Bandar, Aldo, Basler, Bebe, BHS, Charles & Keith, Dune, Kenneth Cole, Kitsch, Nine West, No-lita, Rare, Skechers and Ted Baker.

Following the Fashion event on 9th Oct is a special 'Pink of Health' cooking demo with popular Chef Marta Yanci of Marta's Kitchen. The specially created 3 course menu will have a delicious choice of healthy pink themed dishes to highlight the importance of healthy eating.

Safe and Sound will host its much awaited 'Pink Book Sale' on the second Friday of the month, 12th October - this is the biggest sale ever with more than 100,000 books donated by the community up for grabs this year of the event's revenue will be donated towards free mammogram check-ups, patient care and other awareness-raising drives.

Thursday, 18th October, will see the second edition of the popular 'Cakes for a Cause' at BurJuman - a bake sale featuring delicious sweet treats from Dubai's leading bakeries, hotel patisseries and hobby bakers such as Bloomsbury's, Brownie Point Cakes and Confectioners, House of Cakes, Ramada Hotel Bur Dubai - the Pastry Boutique and Al Maha - A Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa - with 25% of proceeds donated to the campaign.

Mark your calendars for Friday, 2nd November for the culmination of the Safe & Sound International Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities with the campaign's biggest and most eagerly awaited finale - the 'BurJuman Pink Walkathon'. The annual charitable, non-competitive event will this year take place at a new location, Zabeel Park, Area A, Gate 1, kicking off at 8.30am with plenty of activities arranged to make it a truly community and family-friendly extravaganza.

5000 vouchers for free clinical examinations offered by our medical partner UniCare Medical Centre will also be available at BurJuman's Information counters. The vouchers will allow any female UAE resident to avail of a clinical examination provided by a trained nurse who will also offer guidance on how to conduct the monthly self-examinations.

In addition, a special Pink Lounge at the mall - with live violin, saxophone and piano entertainment, pink manicures from Inglot and lots more will be on for the entire month of October. Thousands of educational leaflets on breast cancer will be distributed across the UAE all through the month to increase breast cancer awareness.

"Breast cancer has one of the best prognoses when detected in its early stages -discovering the disease early can increase survival rates to up to 90%. With the BurJuman Safe & Sound campaign, our goal is to make sure that people are not just aware of the disease, the risk factors and the need to stay constantly vigilant no matter their age, but to get more people to talk more openly about screenings, treatment and support available," said Sabina Khandwani, spokesperson for Safe and Sound and Head of Marketing and PR at BurJuman.

In its sixteenth consecutive year since it was first launched, BurJuman's non-profit campaign has once again teamed up with a number of organizations in order to amplify its outreach activities. Partners for the 2012 campaign include Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment 'DEPE', Dubai Calendar, DEWA, ADCB, Del Monte, Johnson & Johnson, Orient Insurance Company and UniCare Medical Centre.