Over 30 years, the brand has raised more than US$108mil for research, education and medical services
THIRTY years ago, the late Evelyn H. Lauder founded The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign with the goal of uniting and inspiring a global movement. She co-created the iconic Pink Ribbon – a symbol of unity and commitment to help create a breast cancer-free world for all.
Since its inception, the campaign has supported over 60 organisations worldwide, raising over US$108mil for lifesaving global research, education and medical services.
Female breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, surpassing lung cancer for the first time in 2020, with an expected 2.3 million new cases each year, according to the World Health Organisation which also found that breast cancer causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths globally among women.
Alarmingly, one in 20 women in Malaysia will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, according to Cancer Research Malaysia.
To honour the campaign’s 30th anniversary, Estée Lauder Malaysia put together an exciting line-up of local campaigns and events for the month of October, with the hashtags #TimeToEndBreastCancer #EsteeLauderCompaniesMY #PinkRibbon.
All proceeds from these events will benefit the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), the Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA), the Cancer Research Malaysia (CRM), and College of Radiology Malaysia.
River of Life in Kuala Lumpur has been illuminated pink – the first-ever river illumination in the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign.
These local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are dedicated to advancing cancer research while offering an extensive range of services and education to support those affected by cancer.
To commemorate the official launch of the campaign, a local landmark in the heart of Kuala Lumpur – River of Life – was illuminated pink, continuing the campaign’s tradition of illuminating buildings, monuments and landmarks around the world such as the Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal, to name a few in an effort to make an impact and raise awareness for the fight to end breast cancer.
In Malaysia, Estée Lauder Companies has also lit up many iconic buildings such as the Petronas Twin Towers and Majestic Hotel, but this year, the River of Life was the first river in the world to be illuminated pink – helping to put Kuala Lumpur on the map as part of this charitable effort.
At the main lookout point of the River of Life you can find an 8ft-pink ribbon made of flowers.
At the main lookout point of the River of Life in Kuala Lumpur, visitors will be able to find an 8ft-pink ribbon made of flowers, which will be on display until the end of the month.
Estée Lauder Malaysia also partnered with W Hotel Kuala Lumpur and A Cut Above to host a Pink Beauty Day at W Hotel in honour of the courageous and inspiring breast cancer survivors.
Guests at the Pink Beauty Day took part in a poolside yoga session.
Twenty-six survivors were given the opportunity to spend the morning participating in a poolside yoga session and treated to a makeover, which included beauty and hair styling, complete with a live portrait session and brunch.
This initiative gave the opportunity for championing survivors to share their stories and meet others who had battled through breast cancer.
Estée Lauder Malaysia hosted A Pink Affair – an evening fundraiser at Tiffin at the Yard in Sentul, KL, to raise awareness and funds for the breast cancer community. The event also featured stalls offering goods made by cancer survivors.
Most recently, Estée Lauder Malaysia hosted A Pink Affair – an evening fundraiser at Tiffin at the Yard in Sentul, KL, to raise awareness and funds for the breast cancer community.
The Estée Lauder Malaysia team at the A Pink Affair fundraiser.
Guests had their share of fun and participated in a variety of activities, such as a raffle and lucky draw, with prizes up for grabs. They were treated to international cuisine from over 13 local vendors and entertained by various live performances throughout the night.
There was also opportunity to shop for goods made by cancer survivors and support their businesses. The list of vendors included unique jewellery by Oh So Yeppun, customised products from Curate N Co, a hijab collection form Pip Of Art, a range of accessories and kaftans from Pink Unity, as well as items from individual vendors Susan Fong and Sengolmany Irudayam.
Proceeds from the night were channelled to four organisations – Cancer Research Malaysia, National Cancer Society Malaysia, College of Radiology Malaysia, and Breast Cancer Welfare Association.
Meanwhile, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation shared ways to help prevent and lower women’s risk of developing breast cancer:
> Detection: Early detection is key. Talk to your doctor about your risk of breast cancer to determine when you should start annual screenings.
> Background: Know your family history on both your biological parents’ sides of the family.
> Sleep: Research has shown that sleep and stress are intrinsically linked. Reducing chronic stress is key.
> Nutrition: Incorporate proper nutrition into your current diet and make a concerted effort to ensure you are also eating leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables and foods rich in fiber.
> Work out: Exercise and do something to get you moving every day. While official guidelines recommend two and a half hours of moderate intensity exercise per week, like a brisk walk, reducing your daily amount of sedentary time is key.
