Capture the colour of October and #paintitpink this Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

MEN AND WOMEN OF IRELAND! The Irish Cancer society is calling on you to come together in the fight against breast cancer by holding a #paintitpink event this Breast Cancer Awareness month.

How can you get involved? It's very easy - you can host a #paintitpink fundraiser (coffee mornings, wear pink to work day, a sponsored walk - all events big or small are welcomed; visit paintitpink.ie for further information) or you can check out some of the many events the Pink Partners have organised for the month of October. Some may inspire you to become a Pink Partner yourself (visit cancer.ie/pinkpartners), or you can simply do your bit by buying a pink box of Barry's Tea in your local Centra!

Below are just some of the pink-spiration from the Pink Partners doing the rounds this October:

Tropical Popical have gone all out, designing postcards that you can send to your mates to remind them to "check your set". They cost €2 which they'll be donating to the Irish Cancer Society. They'll even stamp and post it for you.

GAA jewellery have a limited edition pink friendship bracelet and a pink GAA jersey charm which will be available throughout October in leading jewellers in Ireland & online at www.gaajewellery.com with 10% of all sales donated to the Society.

Barry’s Tea will be donating 10c from special pink packs of Barry’s Tea Gold Blend available at a special promotional price of €2. The packs can be purchased in Centra stores nationwide.

Boots Ireland are supporting breast cancer awareness month by stocking Irish Cancer Society pink ribbons & pins and holding 'Pink’ days in stores during October. Boots customers can purchase their pink pins and ribbons as well as avail of breast cancer awareness advice and literature.

The Zip Yard, Ireland’s leading clothing and alterations boutique, is supporting the Irish Cancer Society this October and turning pink as they raise funds through pink bake sales, pink coffee mornings, pink sponsored walks and runs as well as offering customers of the Irish Cancer Society charity shops a special discount on items purchased, that they would like remodelled. This year they will again be generously donating 50% of sales on Friday 30th October to the Society.

For a full list of what's happening and how you can get involved, head over to paintitpink.ie.

John McCormack, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said: "The Irish Cancer Society is delighted to welcome these fantastic brands and organisations on board as our 2015 Pink Partners. As an independent charity, we rely on support from the business community and the public to continue the work which we do. Most recent figures from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland show that over 2,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland every year. We are committed to providing vital, free services to breast cancer patients and their families to support them during their cancer journey."

Cancer will touch 1 in 3 of us during our life time, with breast cancer being among the most prevalent form. If by wearing pink, or holding a Paint it Pink event spurs even one person to check themselves, it could make all the difference. With cancer, timing is everything. Don't forget to "check your set" - know what is normal for you, that way you can spot any changes.