BMW: The Ultimate Drive® for the Cure

Did You Know? BMW organizes an annual event, The Ultimate Drive®, to raise money for breast cancer research and outreach programs. Choose a vehicle, take it for a drive, and we'll donate $1 per mile on your behalf to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, our partner in raising over $8 million for research in the past eight years.

So far in 2005, BMW's Ultimate Drive® has raised $500,000 in the race for the cure. Help turbo-charge the donation from BMW by finding your local BMW dealer participating in the event, and test drive one of the specially marked BMWs.

Kylie Minogue Having Fun Between Cancer Treatments

In Paris this week for continuing chemotherapy treatment for her breast cancer, Kylie Minogue took some time to enjoy the city and went sailing with her boyfriend, actor Oliver Martinez. She was spotted wearing a scarf and hat, covering her thinning hair.

Meanwhile, her management team denied a rumor of a future performance in Australia. “Any suggestions or inferences that Kylie is to appear in any part of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne are completely erroneous and misleading,” Michael Gudinski said in a statement posted on the Web site of the star’s Australian tour promoter, The Frontier Touring Company.

Breast Cancer Survivor Olivia Newton John in the News

Or rather, her boyfriend is - who still remains missing after disappearing suspiciously from a fishing trip eight weeks ago. Reports have come out that he owes child support, and may have created his own disappearance.

Meanwhile, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN has recorded a musical interpretation of MAYA ANGELOU's poem PHENOMENAL WOMAN to raise awareness about the deadly disease. The song is the lead single from Newton-John's upcoming collection STRONGER THAN BEFORE, and a share of the proceeds of which will be donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation when it goes on sale from 29 August (05) until 31 October.

Newton-John recorded the song with BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN, DIAHANN CARROLL, PATTI LaBELLE, AMY HOLLAND, DELTA GOODREM and MINDY SMITH - all of whom have been affected by cancer. The project is timed with to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

All the songs on the album are by songwriters whose lives have been affected by cancer, such as CAN I TRUST YOUR ARMS, which was penned by Newton-John's daughter CHLOE LATTANZI. Newton-John and Nielsen Chapman wrote the title track together.

Victoria Gotti's Breast Cancer Scare - or Scandal?

The last couple of days has been a gossip firestorm in the celebrity news industry, as many news outlets protested that Victoria Gotti's recent announcement that she had breast cancer was merely a publicity stunt to promote her reality show. While that's certainly a strong accusation, the controversy surrounding the issue has probably provided even more media coverage than it would have in the first place.

Today, Victoria Gotti somewhat retracted her "Breast Cancer" claim statement, saying she never lied about her condition, but clarified that she was diagnosed with a "precancerous condition for which she opted for aggressive treatment." Gotti also told ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday, "What I have is considered by most to be cancer"..."Non-invasive cancer."

Good on her, for early detection and action. That's the important part of this story, and who really cares if it's a PR stunt? There's no such thing as bad publicity when it comes to Breast Cancer awareness. It's really not going to affect whether I watch Growing Up Gotti or not.

The saga remains top news for now:
Victoria Gotti Retracts Breast Cancer Claim, Publicist Quits

What's the Official Pink Breast Cancer Bracelet Saying?

Unlike the famous "LIVESTRONG" motto on the yellow bracelet that raises money for cancer research through Lance Armstrong's organization, there are many variations on the pink breast cancer bracelets and can be purchased from a variety of places. You can only buy official Livestrong wristbands through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, anything else is considered counterfeit.

With Breast Cancer wristbands, the phrases are far more varied, and available from a variety of sources. You can even custom order your own group of pink breast cancer wristbands for a local fundraising effort, everyday wearing or for breast cancer walks.

Pink Breast Cancer Bracelet Sayings
Here are some of the most popular breast cancer support phrases, and the organizations that carry them:

1. "Sharing the Promise" Susan G. Komen Foundation
2. "Breast Cancer Awareness"
   
3. "Be Strong - MLE " Melissa Etheridge edition, the Pink Bracelet Fund
   
4. "Researching the Cure" Breast Cancer Campaign
   
5. Spread Beauty, Spread Hope

About the Pink Ribbon...

Ever wonder why it's the official, universal symbol for breast cancer awareness? Since 1990, the looped, pink ribbon has been used to show support for breast cancer survivors and awareness of the need for further research. The pink ribbons were first worn by survivors in the first annual Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure^® - in Washington, D.C. that year.

Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Thanks for reading the first blog entry for Breast Cancer Bracelets .org, a site dedicated to raising awareness about Breast Cancer and helping support Breast Cancer research. My own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 46, and luckily is a survivor after a lumpectomy and radiation therapy. But living as a survivor is an every day battle for her and constant area of concern for all of our family. With an extended maternal history, my sister and I are even more conscious of the disease as we near our thirties, the need for self exams and early detection has become top priority.