10.02.13
Mohawk Group Is Going Pink in October
Every year during the month of October the National Football League promotes breast cancer awareness by allowing its players to adorn themselves with pink accessories as part of their uniforms. “Seeing players out there wearing pink is a little bit counterculture, but it does make the point,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an 2010 interview with TIME magazine. Undoubtedly, seeing perhaps the biggest, toughest, and most athletic men in the world race around a football field hitting each other while wearing what many consider to be a feminine color is a visual oxymoron. On the contrary, seeing America’s modern day gladiator’s sacrifice their masculinity to send a message to America every Sunday exemplifies the importance of the issue at hand, breast cancer.
In 2013, it is estimated that there will be over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer within the United States among women. In addition, almost 40,000 women will suffer this year from this terrible disease. Wives, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and daughters, breast cancer knows no skin color, age, or ethnicity and can affect even the healthiest women. It is indeed a national epidemic.
In 1982, The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation was founded when Nancy Brinker promised her dying sister “Suzy” that she would dedicate her life to ending breast cancer forever. Though the foundation adopted the color pink in 1982 it became more popularly connected with breast cancer awareness in 1991 when Self Magazine wanted to promote its second annual breast cancer awareness month by giving pink ribbons to participants in the Komen New York City Race for the Cure. The idea has continued to grow ever since and the month of October continues to gain national recognition as breast cancer awareness month. Since its inception, Komen has raised and donated almost $2 billion to fulfill Nancy’s promise to Susan. What started in 1991 with a single race in New York has now exploded into more than 150 races globally that attracts some 1.5 million participants.
The goal of Komen for the Cure is not just to raise money for lab researchers to find a cure for the disease, but also to promote and increase the awareness among Americans about the disease. Though scientists are yet to find a “cure” for cancer, dire consequences can still be prevented. If breast cancer is detected early, the chance of survival is much greater.
There is no denying the severity that comes hand in hand with the breast cancer diagnosis, which is precisely why our team here at Mohawk has aligned our ideals with those of The NFL as well as the Komen for the Cure Foundation and have worked to contribute nearly $4 million to date on behalf of our customers and employees. This year we plan to further that partnership by donating $.25 per square yard of select carpet products sold directly to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. While our media platform encompasses a smaller scale than the likes of the NFL it is just as important to Mohawk to support and promote a cause behind the cure while giving our customers the opportunity to do the same! We understand that not everybody has the ability to play in the NFL or the time to spend running in one of the races. However, you don’t have to be a big bad football player or a marathon runner to do your part in carrying out Nancy’s promise to Suzy. Instead, you can talk to your local Mohawk sales representative about the program and do your part by specifying one of our carpet styles so that the next time you are hurrying across your office to answer the phone, respond to an email, or tell your Principal about that interview you just closed you will literally be “racing” for the cure.
Cameron Grimsley, Industry IIDA | Senior Account Executive
Mohawk Group
