Years ago, some of us were part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. We walked the miles, raised money, got tired, got blisters, laughed, cried – and kept walking. And somewhere along those miles, breast cancer stopped being just a pink ribbon. It became women we knew. Women we met. Mothers, sisters, wives and friends. Women fighting, women surviving, and women we sadly lost. So when the Avon Walk ended, we weren’t ready to stop. We still wanted to help. And honestly, it was as simple as that. United Colors of Pink was born because we decided to keep going. We didn’t have a big strategic plan. We had a group of women, a lot of heart and the belief that when another woman is going through something this difficult, you show up. So we did. One woman needed financial help. Another needed guidance. Someone needed a ride, a care package or simply another person on the other end of the phone saying, “I’m here.” One woman became another, and another. 

Over the years, United Colors of Pink became much more than we ever imagined. We have helped women financially, supported them through treatment and recovery, promoted prevention and early detection, delivered care baskets and stood beside families during the hardest moments. We have celebrated clean scans, danced together and laughed together. And yes, we have cried together too. We have lost women we loved. That part never gets easier. It is also why our motto means so much to us: “Saving lives one breast at a time — because there is a beating heart next to it.” Because behind every diagnosis is a woman. She has a family. A job. Bills. Plans. Dreams. People who love her. And sometimes she is scared and simply needs to know she doesn’t have to figure everything out alone. That is what United Colors of Pink is about. And perhaps the most beautiful part is seeing a woman who once came to us for help turn around and help the next woman. That’s when you realize we didn’t just create a nonprofit. We created a circle. Some of us have been walking together since those Avon days. We just don’t measure the distance in miles anymore. We measure it in women helped. In hands held. In tears shared. In the phone call answered when someone is scared. In one more mammogram scheduled. In one more woman knowing that she is not alone. We started by walking. We just never stopped. And we are still walking. For the woman who was diagnosed yesterday. For the woman sitting in her car after hearing the words “you have breast cancer.” For the woman trying to be strong for everyone else while quietly wondering who will be strong for her. For the survivor learning how to trust her body again. And for the women we couldn’t save, but will never forget. Now we invite you to walk with us. You don’t have to walk 39 miles. You don’t have to do something extraordinary. Come to an event. Volunteer. Donate. Share our story. Encourage a woman you love to schedule her mammogram. Reach out to someone going through treatment and simply ask, “What do you need?” Because none of us knows when breast cancer will touch our family, our friend, our sister—or ourselves. But together, we can make sure that when a woman turns around looking for help, someone is standing there.