Our Voices: A Blog by Links, Callers and Volunteers

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Thousands Of Students Join Pink Day Worldwide

by: Tzvi Solomon
Today, thousands of teenagers stand with the people diagnosed with breast cancer, those who are survivors, and the families and friends who have been affected by breast cancer. We stand with them in 3 different countries, 14 different states and 45 different cities. We all are standing to show them that we are here for them and are ready to make a difference. We are standing with them to help ensure that we are doing something to stop this generation and generations to come from being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Pink Day for Breast Cancer started at TABC (Torah Academy of Bergen County) about 4 years ago. When I got to Lev Hatorah Yeshiva in Israel I knew that we had to keep up with the tradition and host one in our school - thanks to the support of TABC faculty member, mentor, and role model Ms. Hoenig, who inspired me to share this day globally. As I told more and more friends about the initiative, people started to become more and more interested. I decided to reach out to other Yeshivas to participate in Pink Day. That led to some seminaries (post-high school learning programs in Israel) and to schools in America and Canada. Now we have more than 50 schools participating.

Teenagers from all over can be seen in pink spreading breast cancer awareness and collecting money for Sharsheret. I just got off the phone with a girl who said that her school looks like "an army of pink soldiers." I told her that is what we are - pink soldiers ready to take on the second most diagnosed cancer among women, a cancer that is diagnosed in men as well, a cancer from which someone dies every 13 minutes, and a cancer in which almost 1 out of every 9 women is prone to get. We are soldiers ready to fight breast cancer.

Perhaps the most inspiring moment came from one of my friends who commemorated the second anniversary of his mother's death. When I told him that we are dedicating the day to his mom, he turned to me as he shed tears and said, "All I can say is thank you." It doesn't matter how old you are - we must all be ready to make a difference. You may never know who you will inspire to get checked, who you will inspire to get a family member or friend checked, and who you will save because of it. May we all celebrate joyous occasions and be able to eradicate breast cancer in the future.

To read more about Sharsheret, click here.

To donate in honor of Pink Day, click here.

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