April is now upon us, which means the birds are chirping a little louder, we’ve all finally gotten used to losing an hour of our sleep because of daylight savings time, and people are starting to talk a little more about cancer. Yes, every month has its dedicated cancer that we’re all meant to educate ourselves about, but this month we have the vague and lofty challenge of being “aware” of all cancers out there. But what does this mean, really? Sure, it’s nice to buy a flowery pin and to donate a couple bucks to your favourite cancer charity, but what’s actually happening after you slip your quarter into that donation bucket?
Well, firstly, you get a slightly warm & fuzzy feeling for doing something good for the world. And that’s okay– you’re allowed to feel like that! But here’s where the “awareness” part of cancer awareness month comes in: are you aware of what your donation is really doing? Knowing the important facts about your favourite charity is so important, but very few people actually take the time to understand where their hard earned cash is going! Need more awareness in your life? We can help.
What do cancer charities typically fund? Well, there are a couple areas of interest when it comes to funding; to name a few, prevention, research, and early detection. In case you don’t know by now, Fuck Cancer is all about the early detection. Teaching people how to look for cancer instead of just find it has been a top priority for us since day one, because (as you’ve no doubt heard us shouting from the rooftops), over 90% of cancers are curable if caught in stage 1. Funding early detection is something that makes a huge impact without spending billions of dollars, so we’re committed to using each and every dollar in a way that makes sense for us. To put things into perspective, programs on early detection may cost money, but unlike research, they don’t cost millions of dollars. Research is an important endeavour; it’s just not our fight. We are dedicated to promoting early detection, but everyone has an issue that they hold near and dear to their heart. What’s your cause?
To sum it all up, when it comes to donations, yellow flowers, and cancer awareness, all we want to make sure of is that you’re out there doing your homework. If you have a cause you’re passionate about, take 5 minutes out of your busy schedule and make sure you understand where your donations are going. It will renew those warm fuzzies when you find out exactly what you’re helping accomplish, and if you happen to find something you’re not so crazy about, you can make an educated decision about putting your support toward a cause that makes sense to you.
Ok, enough about the dollars and cents of cancer awareness month. Want to know what you can do this month to make a big difference in the fight to end late stage cancer diagnosis? Here are three easy steps you can take:
#1 : Educate yourself! Download our cheat sheets at http://www.letsfcancer.com/get-educated/, and sit down with a cup of tea while you have a read.
#2: Share this valuable information with someone you love! It will help you to remember the important facts, and gets your loved one seriously thinking about their health and wellness.
#3: Support someone who’s battling cancer. Whether that’s chatting up a storm with them, sitting in silence, or picking up their kids from school, no gesture is too big or too small.
Wishing you a healthy & happy month, The FC team.
