Second off, let’s do the numbers…

As in the past two years it is difficult to get a specific count on how many people Went Pink, however with our sign-up form, sites like Technorati and Google’s Blog Search, and social networking sites like Bebo keeping track of theme users I feel confident with the following number:

~15,700

Can I get a “Hells yeah!”

There are three main reasons for such a jump in support this year: 1) this is the third year so we’ve built up some momentum, 2) over the past 3 years (this one included) many designers have created easy-to-apply themes lowering the level of entry for more people, and 3) Twitter; word spreads fast there.

What Else Happened?

Our Facebook Cause garnered 17,508 new members during the month of October 2008. And via that cause we raised $680! That may not seem like a lot of money, but again the purpose of this event is not primarily to raise money.

On a related note, I am slightly annoyed at Susan G. Komen. They redesigned their site sometime after the first week in October and broke the link to our donation page on their site. I didn’t find out about this until a few days ago so that aspect of the event turned out to be a bust. My apologies for that. Next year I will keep better track of things like that.

You

Pink for October is people! I am not suggesting we make Soylent Pink, but without you this event goes nowhere. I know that sounds obvious, but I want you to understand my appreciation for you. Thank you.

A big thank you also to the seven people who shared their story this month. Each story was an example of how Breast Cancer has impacted someone’s life and in turn how they view the world. This is an important aspect of understanding diseases; there are real people at the other end of those statistics.

What Now?

Pink for October only runs for the month of October each year. Already sites are reverting back to their original designs, but obviously Breast Cancer doesn’t follow a calendar.

There are lots of ways to stay involved for the next 11 months. In a way, too many to list and not all of them are for everyone. But however you stay involved (or don’t because we all lead busy lives) you now have 304 days before I start bugging you about Going Pink for October again.

So, without further ado, I hereby announce the winners of our 12 contests:

Contest: Ribbon
Prize: Go Pink for October mug by Dana P. @ PeaPod Studio
Winner: Laurie

Contest: Mammogram
Prize: A blog review by Bloggeries
Winner: Tina

Contest: Self-breast exam
Prize: 30-minute design consultation by Jacob C. @ Just Creative Design
Winner: Kristarella

Contest: Microscope
Prize: Survivor buffs by Hayley T. @ Cancer Survivor Stuff
Winner: Kayce D.

Contest: Lump
Prize: A pair of gemstone earrings by Catherine @ La Perle Jewellery
Winner: Sandy

Contest: Mastectomy
Prize: Tile Necklace in Crabapple Floral choker by Lisa C. @ Polka Dot Cottage
Winner: Sandy

Contest: Ultrasound
Prize: A banner ad design by Selene B. @ iDesign Studios
Winner: Sandy

Contest: Bra
Prize: “Hearts and Tears” by Moon @ Custom Moonlight Designs
Winner: Kristarella

Contest: Share your story
Prize: A woven wire beaded bracelet by Sharon H. @ Mana Moon Studios
Winner: FL Hopkins (My Story)

Contest: Design and win
Prize: A single-use premium theme by Bhavesh R. @ PremiumThemes.net
Winner: Evelyn T (P4O vertical banner)

Contest: Breast cancer is…
Prize: A year of webhosting, which includes 200MB disk space, 10GB monthly bandwidth, 5 addon domains and 5 MySQL databases by Emily @ Swank Web Style Design Studio
Winner: The Laundress

Contest: What have you done in conjunction with P4O?
Prize: Lean Cuisine Lunch Tote by Laurie and Nikki @ Our3Day
Winner: Sandy

Congratulations to all winners! You will receive an email from me in the next few hours, so please get in touch with your sponsor and arrange for the delivery of the item/product that you have just won, OK?

To all our sponsors, thank you very much once again for making my Pink for October so meaningful :D

See you guys next year!

– Pelf Nyok

The word for today is BRA. This is a simple one, isn’t it? :D

That’s right. Go look for a picture, or a comic strip, or draw one if you can, that best describes a bra, obvious or otherwise. But please make sure that your picture is work-safe and children-safe (we hope to keep this contest and website friendly, and not adult-oriented). Then write a description (or a joke or an anecdote) about it on your blog (also, please do not copy-and-paste from Wikipedia or other online sources) and don’t forget to leave me a comment in the comments section! If you didn’t leave me a comment and your link, I wouldn’t know that you have participated, and most of all, your name will not be in the draw! Again, be creative and think out of the box :D

The comments section for this post will be closed at 11:59 pm on Thurs, Oct 30th, and the winners for these a la photo hunt contests will be announced on Oct 31st. Please visit the contest page and the sponsors page for more information.

– Pelf Nyok

It is very easy to participate — All you need to do is write a blog post on your blog, telling us what you have done since October 1st to spread awareness on breast cancer. Have you been writing about breast cancer every other day? Have you been talking to your friends about self breast exams? Have you been reading up about the myths and truths regarding breast cancer? Have you been volunteering in a hospital, helping cancer-stricken patients? Have you been walking for a cure?

Whatever it was that you have done, we would like to know ALL about it. But don’t forget to leave us a comment in the comments section! Otherwise we wouldn’t know that you have participated! :D

On Oct 31st, I will randomly pick one blog post, and the lucky winner will win one of these prizes. It’s that easy! :D

Good luck!

– Pelf Nyok

“Breast cancer is …”

It is very easy to participate — All you need to do is think of a slogan or whatever you call it, and complete the sentence in NO MORE THAN 20 words. Write your slogans in the comments section. Slogans that have more than 20 words will be disqualified.

On Oct 31st, I will randomly pick one slogan, and the lucky winner will win one of these prizes. It’s that easy! :D

Good luck!

– Pelf Nyok

The word for today is ULTRASOUND. We had a contest on mammogram, and now we have one on ultrasound. This clearly shows that my creative juices is running out :D

Now, go look for a picture, or take one if you can, that best describes an ultrasound, be it an ultrasound machine or a comic strip. But please make sure that your picture is work-safe and children-safe (we hope to keep this contest and website friendly, and not adult-oriented). Then write a description about it on your blog (please be original and not cut-and-paste from Wikipedia) and don’t forget to leave me a comment in the comments section! If you didn’t leave me a comment and your link, I wouldn’t know that you have participated, and most of all, your name will not be in the draw! I know I am repeating this, but be creative and think out of the box :D

The comments section for this post will be closed at 11:59 pm on Sunday, Oct 26th, and the next word will be announced at 12 am on Monday, Oct 27th (all times in GMT). Also, I suggest that you subscribe to the Pink for October feed to avoid missing any updates and contests! Please visit the contest page and the sponsors page for more information.

– Pelf Nyok

The word for today is MASTECTOMY. You see this coming too, no? :D

That’s right. Go look for a picture, or a comic strip, or draw one if you can, that best describes a mastectomy, obvious or otherwise. But please make sure that your picture is work-safe and children-safe (we hope to keep this contest and website friendly, and not adult-oriented). Then write a description (or a joke or an anecdote) about it on your blog (also, please do not copy-and-paste from Wikipedia or other online sources) and don’t forget to leave me a comment in the comments section! If you didn’t leave me a comment and your link, I wouldn’t know that you have participated, and most of all, your name will not be in the draw! Again, be creative and think out of the box :D

The comments section for this post will be closed at 11:59 pm on Wed, Oct 22th, and the next word will be announced at 12 am on Thurs, Oct 23th (all times in GMT). Also, I suggest that you subscribe to the Pink for October feed to avoid missing any updates and contests! Please visit the contest page and the sponsors page for more information.

– Pelf Nyok

The word for today is LUMP. You see this coming, didn’t you? :D

Now, go look for a picture, or take one if you can, that best describes a lump, obvious or otherwise. But please make sure that your picture is work-safe and children-safe (we hope to keep this contest and website friendly, and not adult-oriented). Then write a description about it on your blog (please be original and not cut-and-paste from Wikipedia) and don’t forget to leave me a comment in the comments section! If you didn’t leave me a comment and your link, I wouldn’t know that you have participated, and most of all, your name will not be in the draw! Again, be creative and think out of the box :D

The comments section for this post will be closed at 11:59 pm on Sunday, Oct 19th, and the next word will be announced at 12 am on Monday, Oct 20th (all times in GMT). Also, I suggest that you subscribe to the Pink for October feed to avoid missing any updates and contests! Please visit the contest page and the sponsors page for more information.

– Pelf Nyok

The doctor did not give any comments on whether it was cancerous or not, just gave me some brief facts and reassurances that it might not be cancerous and such. I was really scared and I cried when I had the scanning. After less than half an hour, I had a report of the accurate size and picture of the lump.

I called my then boyfriend and family and cried. I kept thinking of dying and how I was too young to die. How the things I did will affect me, and how I will never experience the things I haven’t done. Weddings, child birth, I was only 20 going on 21. After a month of preparing myself for operation and the outcome, I checked myself at SMC Malaysia, in Sabah. Away from extended family members and friends.

I don’t want people to know, but I was ashamed. The operation was less than 2 hours, and it was my first operation. It was painful but it was not as bad as I thought. Less than a week later, I was declared cancer-free. It was like I was given another chance to live.

My point is, cancer is not a death ticket. We can fight cancer.

I had this thought that I had cancer before the operation, and I made it a point to be open minded, and to be positive that I can fight it. There are many death stories of cancer but there are also many survivors. The only thing is early diagnosis. SO please get yourself checked. Paranoia is good as it can saves lives.

I am lucky, I have resources and insurance. I think some people, especially in Malaysia, cannot afford to have an early diagnosis due to financial constraints, and government hospitals might be really cheap, but the service is bad. I might have a full report in less than an hour, but other people in government hospitals have to wait for many months to even get a report.

Cancer does not collaborate with time, and this is dangerous. Therefore the government and organizations should do something to combat this issue.

To all cancer patients and survivors, and those affected by cancer in family members, be strong. Do not let the sickness corrupt you. Cancer is curable, just be positive. Xoxo.

Anyone can share their stories do email me at. I will love to publish your stories in my blog to inspire anyone with cancer or with a loved one affected by cancer.

—Nadia Ramli

The word for today is MICROSCOPE.

That’s right. Go look for a picture, or take one if you can, that best describes a microscope, obvious or otherwise. Then write a description about it on your blog and don’t forget to leave me a comment in the comments section! If you didn’t leave me a comment and your link, I wouldn’t know that you have participated, and most of all, your name will not be in the draw! Again, be creative and think out of the box :D

The comments section for this post will be closed at 11:59 pm on Wed, Oct 15th, and the next word will be announced at 12 am on Thurs, Oct 16th (all times in GMT). Also, I suggest that you subscribe to the Pink for October feed to avoid missing any updates and contests! Please visit the contest page and the sponsors page for more information.

– Pelf Nyok