Many teens have been spotted with the "I ? Boobies!" bracelets. Some might see this as something perverted and funny, but honestly, it means something completely different. The Keep A Breast Foundation has used this slogan on many types of merchandise to spread the awareness of breast cancer among teenagers. This foundation is based on exposing methods of prevention, early detection, and support.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 254,650 women and 1,910 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, while 40,170 women and 440 men will die due to the disease. Breast cancer affects all races, genders, and ages, leaving no one completely immune. Certain people have a higher risk of being diagnosed. Those people are women over the age of forty-five, someone who has a close relative (such as mother, father, brother, or sister) with the disease, or someone who has had radiation screenings of their chest between the ages of ten and thirty. Many people do not know about these facts that could benefit them in finding out whether or not they have breast cancer.
Shaney Jo Daren and Mona Mukherjea-Gehrig started this foundation in 2001 to spread breast cancer awareness. Keep A Breast has produced fundraisers to collect money for charities such as The Young Survival Coalition, Europa Donna, and the Breast Cancer Fund. At most fundraisers, the foundation would sell breast casts that were made into pieces of art. Even Katy Perry has donated a casting to the foundation which sold at $3,500 at auction. With constant praise, the foundation has received the "MySpace Impact Award" for Health and Safety.
Many companies have joined the foundation, such as Zumiez, Spencer's, FOX, ROXY, Quiksilver, Emergen-C, as well as others. Currently, the Zumiez at Harlem Irving Plaza has been selling Keep A Breast bracelets and other merchandise. If you want to contribute, go out and buy something from Keep A Breast!