Meet Pink Ribbon

Origin and history

In 1992, at a time when thousands of women were dying of breast cancer but it was barely talked about, Evelyn Lauder, daughter-in-law of Estée Lauder, launched the first Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.

Convinced of the importance of communication in the fight against the disease, she worked tirelessly on Pink Ribbon that raised public awareness, drew attention to breast cancer and raised funds for basic scientific research on breast cancer. Evelyn Lauder sadly passed away in November 2011, but thanks to the pink ribbon, her initiative continues to live on.

Pink Ribbon took shape in Belgium in 2006 as a media project of Sanoma Belgium. Each year the annual Pink Ribbon was published. In addition, the website www.pink-ribbon.be and fundraising for the benefit of the Pink Ribbon Fund were started. From 2014, the non-profit organization Pink Ribbon became operational in our country. It has since assumed full responsibility for Pink Ribbon 's activities in our country.

The non-profit organization Pink Ribbon is the national organization working every day to improve the medical treatment of breast cancer and increase the quality of life of (former) breast cancer patients. Our mission is plain and clear to eliminate the disease and reduce its effects. To this end, we are setting up several projects in Belgium under 5 pillars:

• Breast cancer awareness
• Prevention
• Early detection of breast cancer
• Psychosocial support for (former) patients and their surroundings
• Research

To finance these projects, we raise funds managed in the bosom of the Pink Ribbon non-profit organization and at the Pink Ribbon Fund, the latter under the auspices of the King Baudouin Foundation.

Breast cancer awareness

The non-profit organization Pink Ribbon is drawing attention to breast cancer through its communication campaign during International Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). Central to the campaign is the announcement of the new Pink Ribbon, which is sold annually in more than 1,000 retail outlets in Belgium and raises awareness for increased breast cancer awareness. These large-scale campaigns complement the ongoing dialogue with patients and those around them through the Pink Ribbon digital Pink Ribbon.

Prevention

Did you know that scientific research shows that 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses can be avoided by living a healthy and balanced lifestyle? High levels of certain hormones can increase the risk of cancer. Exercise keeps your hormone levels healthy and strengthens your immune system. Moreover, it also helps prevent obesity. So getting enough exercise is essential. To encourage this, Pink Ribbon organizes its walking challenge twice a year The Pink Walk and the walking event the Walk for Pink Ribbon. By moving at least 30 minutes every day, you can achieve a lot.

Early detection

Did you know that if breast cancer is diagnosed early, 9 out of 10 women are still alive after 5 years and most are cured? The earlier breast cancer is detected and diagnosed, the less invasive the treatment will be and the greater the chance of cure.

Every two years, women between the ages of 50 and 69 are invited for a free radiographic breast cancer screening. That examination can detect a lump before there are visible symptoms. Only 1 woman in 2 participates in the population screening. And younger women and men can also be affected by breast cancer. This is why Pink Ribbon has created the Mammoquiz.be. Participation in the Mammoquiz gives you an indication of your risk of late detection of breast cancer.

Depending on your age, lifestyle and family history, you are more or less likely to develop breast cancer. Therefore, it is important to know your breasts well: look at them regularly and feel your breasts. That way you will notice more quickly when something has changed. Changes to your breasts can be harmless, but they can also warn of breast cancer. If so, don't wait too long and be sure to discuss it with your doctor. The 9 warning signs for breast cancer can help. Pink Ribbon is constantly campaigning around them.

Patient support

When someone is told the word "breast cancer," medical personnel pay attention primarily to treatment. This is obviously necessary, but not sufficient. As soon as the diagnosis is made and the patient leaves the doctor's office, they are often left with anxiety and many questions. Therefore, clear and correct information is very important. Through concrete projects and informative communication from its Breast Cancer Medical Knowledge Center, Pink Ribbon responds to the clear need for support and communication. Thanks to "Cut for Hair," people can donate their ponytails to those who have unfortunately lost their hair due to chemotherapy. With "Pink Monday" we make the topic of breast cancer discussable in the workplace. The Pink Ribbon, the Pink Ribbonettes and Pink Ribbon invite people to exercise enough after treatment, avoid relapse and listen to fellow sufferers.

Research

The Pink Ribbon Fund funds research projects aimed at increasing the quality of life of (former) breast cancer patients. In recent years, a diversity of projects have been supported such as Family Hope, Impact of breast cancer on the professional situation, the use of hypnosis in breast cancer surgery, the importance of lipofilling in the treatment of lymphedema, various studies by the Cancer Registry Foundation and by Pink Ribbon's Medical Knowledge Center.

Funding

There are several ways you can help Pink Ribbon . You can make a donation to the King Baudouin Foundation account number (IBAN:BE10 0000 0000 0404) with the following reference ***192/0810/0092*** Donations from €40 are tax deductible here.

But you can also support the fight against breast cancer in other ways by participating in Pink Ribbon, setting up your own fundraising campaign, donating your ponytail, buying Pink Ribbon or partnering with your company.

Over the past 10 years (2015-2024), Pink Ribbon s fundraising efforts have allowed it to invest as much as €6,600,000 in the fight against breast cancer. The use of these funds was as follows:

• Campaigns around breast cancer awareness: €2,4000,000 (approx. 30%)
• Breast cancer prevention: €1,500,000 (approx. 20%)
• Early detection of breast cancer: €650,000 (8%)
• Psychosocial support to (former) patients and their environment: €850,000 (approx. 12%)
• Pink Ribbon Fund research projects: €1,200,000 (approx. 15%)
• The cost of operating the non-profit organization and Fund was: €1,165,000 (approx. 15% management costs to net receipts).

Positioning

To achieve its goals, Pink Ribbon positions itself as an organization that:

• operates at the national level
• Focuses 100% on the fight against breast cancer
• conducts this battle in a serious, professional, humane, friendly, dignified and truthful manner, both in her approach to the disease and in all her actions
• does this by raising awareness, calling for action and funding projects, among other things, with the goal of improving the quality of care and life of the (former) breast cancer patient.

Pink Ribbon 's communications are aimed at the general public in terms of prevention and detection, and at patients and those around them in terms of concrete support. To achieve this, Pink Ribbon tries to strike a balance between striving for visibility, creating maximum impact and delivering relevant messages. Pink Ribbon takes informed positions based on scientific insights and the advice of medical professionals. The content of the messages promoted by Pink Ribbon addresses everyone and covers as many facets of the fight against breast cancer as possible. Pink Ribbon regularly refers to reliable scientific and medical sources. Fundraising is done on the one hand through donations from and partnerships with companies, on the other hand through private donations and actions or through the sale of Pink Ribbon products to the general public.

The funds acquired are used by Pink Ribbon both to fund communication projects and patient support, and to support (research) projects through the Pink Ribbon Fund. To maintain maximum transparency and professionalism, these funds are managed in collaboration with the King Baudouin Foundation. The latter guarantees the correct management of the funds and proper guidance in the selection of projects to which the collected funds are allocated.

Annual Report

Download our 2024 annual report.