With Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, these Toronto-based companies are doing what they can to donate to the cause – and some with a personal connection! It’s easy for brands to tie a pink ribbon to a product or print a pink logo on a shirt all in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But if you’re looking for a way to do some spending for a cause this month, it’s important to know that companies are actually donating to reputable organizations along with their pink branding.
To make it easy, we’ve rounded up some exciting ways to contribute to and participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month with local businesses who promise to support and donate to great charities.
LASHGOD
For all of October, both of LASHGOD’s Toronto locations will be donating 15% of service costs for anything containing a “pop of pink” towards the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC). This pop of pink can include anything from a flair of pink lashes, streaks, and extensions to pink nails.
This initiative dates back to LASHGOD founder Raquel Da Silva’s childhood. “When I was in third grade, I used to make these little plastic string breast cancer key chains,” she explains. “And I used to sell them for three dollars and my dad would donate it to BCSC. So, that’s why I want to donate to them now. They’ve been around a while, they’re reputable, and they’re doing good things in the industry when it comes to actually researching.”
The initiative is running at both of LASHGOD’s locations in Yorkville and Don Mills until the end of October.
Rethink Breast Cancer
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Rethink Breast Cancer is offering limited-edition pink merchandise from global and local brands all month long on their website. The partners offer a range of feature fashion, accessories, jewellery, home decor and beauty products.
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As part of the initiative, GAP donated t-shirts to Rethink Breast Cancer, who then partnered with Toronto-based artist Rachel Joanis to create limited-edition designs. “She’s a fabulous artist and did a beautiful design that captures a way of supporting the community,” says MJ DeCoteau, founder of Rethink Breast Cancer.
LOHN is offering a limited-edition candle called Forever Forward, named for the theme of Rethink Breast Cancer’s 20th anniversary and will donate 50 per cent of the candle’s proceeds to Rethink Breast Cancer.
In addition to the pink merchandise, on Thursday, Oct. 14, Rethink is transforming their pop-up shop in Stackt Market into a gallery that will feature Uncovered: A Breast Recognition Project. Through imagery and storytelling, this resource highlights the breast cancer experiences of Black women, Indigenous women and women of colour, addressing cultural barriers and health inequity.
“We decided to use our pop-up as a way to tell more people about this resource, and even to draw awareness to the fact that the breast cancer experience is different for different groups of people,” says DeCoteau.
GlassBox Barbershop
Men can get involved in the initiative too! On October 24, two of GlassBox Barbershop’s locations will be donating 100 per cent of their proceeds from haircuts, shavings, and beard trimmings to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.
“At Glassbox, we have a lot of girls and a lot of women that work for the company,” says owner Peter Gosling. “And I feel like, as a man, Movember overshadows Breast Cancer Awareness. I don’t think that should be the case.”
This cause is being done in support of Caitlin Pratt, the (very recent!) fiancé of one of the managers and stylists, Shaun Stevens, at the GlassBox Barbershop’s Path location. Stevens will also be participating in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and has already raised upwards of $5,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre where Caitlin has been getting treated.
Between the Toronto flagship location and Hamilton location, sixteen stylists will be working for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with their wages being donated to the cause.
