Another pinktober begins in less than two weeks.

October can be a difficult month for a lot of us: "breast cancer awareness" is suddenly a selling point, with pink ribbons plastered on everything from billboards to bottled water to police cars, constant reminders of our collective pain.

Too many of our community members have lost loved ones to this disease, are in treatment themselves, or caring for another who's in treatment. And so many of us continue to live in polluted neighborhoods and environments awash in toxic chemicals that now have seeped into our food, water, and air. Pink ribbons don't help.

For over 20 years, our community of passionate activists has joined us in calling out the profiteering and empty awareness that takes place during Breast Cancer “Awareness Month,” that does little more than line corporate pockets. You heard the call to collective action, and over time, you helped us expose the dark underbelly of pink ribbon cause marketing.

Our award-winning campaign, Think Before You Pink®, along with the integrated support of the film and book, Pink Ribbons, Inc., brought about a sea change in our movement. It took persistence and relentless dedication but with your help, we got there. There's still so much to be done, if we're going to put an end to this public health crisis.