Companies as a driving force in the fight against breast cancer

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One in eight women will be affected by breast cancer during their lifetime. It is therefore not surprising that this disease occupies an important place in the corporate social responsibility policies of many companies. In virtually every organization of any size, there are female employees who are directly or indirectly affected. At the same time, breast cancer is also a particularly relevant issue for customers. "The most successful collaborations are those that raise awareness both internally and externally and create genuine interaction," says Aimé Van Hecke, who is closely involved in establishing partnerships between Pink Ribbon companies or organizations that want to support the fight against breast cancer.

Carrefour

"A strong example of successful collaboration is the ten-year partnership between Carrefour and Pink Ribbon," says Van Hecke. "This collaboration did not arise top-down, but grew out of initiatives by the employees themselves. For example, Carrefour colleagues took part in the 20 km walk through Brussels in aid of Pink Ribbon cashiers organized their own fundraising campaigns. Management responded to this and has since actively encouraged employee involvement, for example by allowing them to participate free of charge in activities such as The Pink Walk. As a result, Carrefour is now often the company with the highest number of participants in the walking challenges organized by Pink Ribbon a year." The partnership was further expanded with numerous customer-focused initiatives. These included campaigns such as the arrondi solidaire (where customers were asked to round up the amount on their receipt to the nearest euro, with the extra cents donated to Pink Ribbon), the sale of Pink Ribbon and reusable Pink Ribbon bags. Some of these initiatives have been running for years. Collaborations with suppliers, such as BIC (pens) and Papillon bananas, are also part of this broad approach. "It is precisely these integrated and sustained efforts that have yielded impressive results. In the tenth year of the partnership, Carrefour donated a total of more than €200,000 to Pink Ribbon."

bpost

Bpost also demonstrates how powerful a well-thought-out collaboration can be. Aimé Van Hecke: "As a new partner, bpost launched a Pink Ribbon in 2025 to draw attention to the nine warning signs of breast cancer. This launch went hand in hand with a successful fundraising campaign in all 656 post offices. In addition, space was provided in the 100 largest offices for the sale of Pink Ribbon ribbons and bracelets. Thanks to a targeted internal campaign, bpost employees were highly motivated to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the fight against breast cancer and to the success of this partnership." The result: a highly integrated internal and external approach and a donation of more than €160,000 to Pink Ribbon, and that was just the first initiative. Impressive.

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