October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when charities and companies join the fight against the disease and highlight how early screenings can increase a person’s chances of survival by more than 90 percent. Want to do your bit? From yoga classes to brunches, there are plenty of businesses in the UAE ‘thinking pink’ and raising funds. Here’s how you can get involved.
Fitness
An active lifestyle incorporating regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of a variety of cancers by 33 percent and a number of fitness sessions and events have been added to schedules across the country this month.
Ignite Pink is Punk is running fitness and wellness initiatives in conjunction with Fiit in Dubai to raise money for the Al Jalila Foundation. Classes include Hiit on October 23 and a meditation class on October 30. Priced at Dh105, 100 percent of the net proceeds go to the charity.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) is promoting programs that work toward early detection of Breast Cancer and encourage the adoption of a healthy and active lifestyle through the practice of the sport that allows women to stay fit and healthy. Keep an eye on their Instagram account for prevention and exercise tips, plus messages of support and inspiration from female fighters.
From October 13 Abu Dhabi’s Bodytree Studio is turning a number of its popular classes pink. Check out BTB Bounce, which challenges your cardio limits on a small trampoline, or the special addition of a pop-up class called Soundtopia, offering sound healing to start the body’s recovery process. And on October 26 at 7.30pm, they are hosting one of their signature wellness talks, online, for Dh295. Amy Cohen Epstein of the US Lynne Cohen Foundation will join Dr Julie Lang to talk about breast cancer, cancer prevention, surgery and more.
Hair donation
With hair loss being one of the stressful experiences a breast cancer patient goes through, oil brand Dabur Amla has joined hands with Friends Of Cancer Patients and Tips & Toes Salon & Spa to launch Strong Hair, Stronger You. It’s a hair donation initiative that will be used to create wigs and hairpieces for breast cancer patients. Distributed to cancer patients free of charge, the initiative will continue until December 15.
Register to donate hair at least 30cm in length across 23 participating Tips & Toes outlets. You can either plait and cut it yourself (placing it in a sealed plastic bag and dropping it off at any Tips & Toes donation box), or drop in and get a free hair cut at the salon.
Food and drink
Over 50 Marriott hotels will host a variety of PINKtober activities in the UAE, with everything from pink-themed brunches to tasting menus and bake sales to raffles. Marriott is also offering complimentary screenings in support of Al Jalila Foundation.
Häagen-Dazs has teamed up with Gargash Hospital to offer female customers at its cafés complimentary consultations and discount vouchers for treatments. You can collect a voucher from any Häagen-Dazs café in the UAE for a free consultation with a pap smear or breast examination; mammography and breast ultrasound package for Dh299; or an automated breast ultrasound system package for Dh499.
While there, purchase anything strawberry flavoured and 25 percent will be donated to the Al Jalila Foundation.
Asha Sherwood
Asha Sherwood owns Abu Dhabi Review, an online and social platform that gives you the scoop on everything happening in the capital.
