WEAR PINK. SUPPORT. The Pink Ribbon Charity & MUSE

On the 4th of February MUSE the BISB Student Magazine in spirit of the Pink Ribbon Charity hosted a fundraising event in which one could wear a pink item in return of a 500 HUF donation to raise awareness of breast cancer and support its patients. We have raised 82,900 HUF in total and would like to thank everyone for participating in this event. We also hope that this event has provided an opportunity for everyone to learn more about breast cancer and the supporting charity.

Why a pink ribbon?

The ribbon has been the universal symbol of awareness and support since 1979 when Penney Laingen, wife of one of the men held prisoners during the Iran hostage crisis, decided to use a yellow ribbon to show support for her husband and the other hostages. Its history goes back much further: it is mentioned in five-hundred-year-old poems, in military marches and in folk songs, even in films. However, Penney Laingen is who used it for first time publicly as a silent voice of support.

A decade later, the activist art group Visual AIDS turned the ribbon bright red, looped it, spruced it up and sent it onto the national stage during the Tony Awards, pinned to the chest of actor Jeremy Irons. Again, a symbol of awareness and support.

Then, Charlotte Hayley, who had battled breast cancer herself, introduced the concept of a peach-coloured breast cancer awareness ribbon. Inspired by this the Self magazine has published its 1992 National Breast Cancer Awareness Issue. Consequently, the Komen foundation has been handing out bright pink visors to breast cancer survivors running in its Race for the Cure since late 1990. In fall 1991, the foundation gave out pink ribbons to every participant in its New York City race.

Finally, the cosmetics industry got on board in 1991 to promote breast cancer awareness with the help of Estée Lauder Cosmetics the Self magazine. These organisations cherished Charlotte Hayley’s concept of giving ribbons to promote the support of breast cancer awareness and have worked together to come up with the pink ribbon symbol.