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During the month of October, Hit Trophy would like to remind its customers to “Think Pink” and learn about breast cancer. Why? The numbers do not lie.

Thirty-nine thousand, five hundred and twenty or 39,520: no matter how it is written, it is a huge number. According to the American Cancer Society’s website, that is the estimated number of women who died from breast cancer in 2011. That is thousands of wives, thousands of mothers, thousands of daughters, sisters, and aunts all dead due to something that can be caught early, treated, and survived.

Another set of scary numbers includes the number of invasive cases expected this year. The American Cancer Society expects 226,870 cases. That number is just for women. Men get breast cancer too, in fact the ACS believes 2,190 men will contract the disease. Perhaps the scariest number is the number two. Breast cancer is now the second most common cause of cancer death, ranked only behind lung cancer. So how do you learn more?

For over the past 25 years, national public service groups, professional health associations, and government agencies have pulled together to help bring down that gigantic number of deaths. One way these groups are educating the public is through National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

NBCAM happens in October through the efforts of dozens of like-minded institutions whose goals are to raise awareness of the disease and educate individuals on detection and treatment of breast cancer. NBCAM is busy all year long, but obviously October is the busiest month when the group uses the “Think Pink” slogan. The group is the motivation for Volley for the Cure efforts at many volleyball matches across the United States. Teams sell pink T-shirts and donate the money. The National Football League joins the effort by having players and coaches don the color pink. Goal posts at the back of end zones have pink NBCAM padding at the base, and even the officials show their support by wearing pink wristbands and using pink whistles. Now, Hit Trophy would like to join the effort to raise awareness.

To help us do our part and get people to “Think Pink,” all this month, we will be giving away pink pens. In two tone pink and white, the pens effortlessly write a fine line of black ink. These retractable pens feature the Hit Trophy name, our phone number, and our website address. Most importantly, the pens are free, so they will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Stop in to say “Hi,” get your free pen that so many people come back for time and time again, and most importantly be sure to recall the purpose of NBCAM.

For more information about the warning signs of breast cancer and detailed information about your options, visit www.NBCAM.org. This site provides a dozen or more links to educate anyone interested. The American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Men Against Breast Cancer are just three of the sites. Check out these sites, and remember “Think Pink.”