The Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag Changes With A Changing Reality

Men For A Cause, United Against Breast Cancer amend elements of Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag to honor 3 year old Canadian Breast Cancer Survivor Aleisha Hunter. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) January 19, 2011 - San Diego, CA - Political and social movements throughout history have used symbols to identify and distinguish themselves. When these images are embroidered on flags or standards and held aloft, they become an inspiration and often call people to action. Once these symbols have become a familiar, visual representation of an organization's goals and purpose, they rarely change in any significant way.

Men For A Cause™ United Against Breast Cancer, a grassroots, activist organization dedicated to increasing breast cancer awareness, surprised observers recently when it changed the flag that has become known as the Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag.

It took a powerful force to convince Men For A Cause that the Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag was not yet complete. That message was delivered inadvertently by a heroic 3 year old Canadian girl named Aleisha Hunter, when she gained the dubious distinction as the youngest breast cancer survivor in North America.

Every color and shape on the original Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag was selected for its symbolic and inspirational impact. The flag was comprised of;
• 13 stripes of pink, white and blue. The 13 stripes represent approximately the 13 decades since William Stewart Halsted performed the first mastectomy in 1882. There are:

• Seven pink stripes denoting the magnitude of women affected by breast cancer
• Three blue stripes signifying the men affected by breast cancer

• Three white stripes which pay tribute to the many co-survivors who are also deeply affected by what their loved ones are going through, or went through in their personal battle

• A white rectangle (called the canton) bears a larger ribbon, which represents the millions of people around the world who have formed a united front against breast cancer. The ribbon is comprised of the interlaced hand of a man and of a woman, representing unity in the fight against breast cancer.

• The canton includes 13 traditional breast cancer pink ribbons that are displayed in a circle to represent the circle of life, and in celebration of the lives of our beloved ones who have lost the battle:

• These small ribbons were a salute to the youngest known breast cancer survivor prior to Aleisha Hunter, Hannah Powell-Auslam, who overcame it when she was 10 years old.

In 2011 the original design of the flag was modified to include 3 additional pink ribbons in the canton. The additional 3 ribbons celebrate and immortalize the life of Aleisha Hunter.

Now 4 years old and cancer free, Aleisha describes her ordeal this way. "I know I had cancer in my booby and that the doctors made it better,' she said. 'I know that cancer can make some people go to heaven, but I am better now."
A limited number of the flags sold in 2011 also include a red Canadian maple leaf in lieu of the three pink breast cancer ribbons. The maple leaf was chosen because of its three points and its use as a symbol of Canada. The 10 ribbons in the canton have also been included to illustrate how far we have come, but yet how far we have to go in the fight.

The Official Breast Cancer Awareness flag will not only raise awareness and educate people on an international scale of the #2 leading cause of mortality among women, but it functions to raise awareness of male breast cancer and recognize co-survivor support.

Men For A Cause, United Against Breast Cancer™is the first and only nonprofit organization founded to educate, motivate and empower men in the fight against breast cancer in both women and men internationally as survivors and co-survivors. We teach men how to better support the women they love when breast cancer strikes while informing men they can get breast cancer too. Go to www.menforacause.org to learn more about the organization, to lend support for its work or to donate or purchase the Official Breast Cancer Awareness Flag.

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Visit Men For A Cause, United Against Breast Cancer Website

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