October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. This month’s theme for the national awareness day is ‘Rise’ – with a strong message to ensure every woman has access to the screenings she needs, and the support she deserves.
The South African NPO, PinkDrive, works tirelessly all year round to promote awareness and early detection of Breast Cancer, and screening for gender-related cancers in the general population of South Africa, focusing on their driving message: “Early detection will help to a prolong life.”
This year, PinkDrive is asking South Africans to ‘Rise’ to the challenge of helping them acquire the desperately needed new mammography machine for their famous Mobile Women’s Health Unit. This mobile clinic provides screening and education for gender-related cancers including breast, cervical and prostate cancer to traditionally underserviced communities in South Africa, and they need our help.
According to Noelene Kotschan, CEO and Founder of PinkDrive, a simple online payment of just R30 will help them meet their funding goal for this much-needed equipment. “Just one new mammography machine will make an enormous difference, and you can be a part of that difference by visiting our website and helping us to reach the goal of 100 000 people making a R30 donation – which will cover the R3 million cost of the machine.” Participants will be entered into a draw on 31 October to win two return air tickets with Lift, and two nights stay at the Taj Cape Town.
Kotschan goes on to explain that they are challenging corporates to donate R50 000 or more, and in return, PinkDrive will hold an activation with that company’s branding in a community of their choice. Corporates who donate R100 000 will also be offered a branded activation in their chosen community, as well as have their branding placed on the Mobile Women’s Health Units for one full year. “Vuma is an example of an organisation that has been a sustainable and committed partner to PinkDrive, which has been invaluable to our efforts to bring much needed health care services to underserviced communities,” says Kotschan.
Lianne Williams of Vuma says individuals and organisations shouldn’t underestimate how much of a difference their donation can make. “Every cent that PinkDrive receives is a cent they didn’t previously have, and it goes towards changing – or even saving – someone’s life. We urge South Africans to come together and ‘Rise’ up, to bring critical screening and diagnostics to communities across the country. If we do this together we can help eliminate preventable illness and death,” she concludes.
