Think Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness Events Near Westwood-Hillsdale

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and whether you love to shop, attend events, walk or run, there are tons of different ways to support the cause. 

Making Strides, part of the American Cancer Society is hosting the 2012 Making Strides Walk at Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park on Oct. 21, 10am (Registration at 9 a.m.) So far, over $85,160.81 has been raised towards Making Strides through a combination of 100 teams from the Oradell's Allstate Office and Family Martial Arts to Paramus Gold's Gym.

That same weekend, the locally-based The Real Pink Flamingos will take to the streets of New York City for the 2012 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The two-day 39 mile walk spans Manhattan neighborhoods Chelsea, Greenwich, and Soho, across into Brooklyn before crossing back to Manhattan and spending the night at Randall's Island before returning to Hudson River Park's Pier 84 on Sunday.

In addition to these local events, New Jersey residents can participate in the Susan G. Komen Tie A Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign throughout October. Volunteers can eight-foot hot pink ribbons throughout your community as a special way to honor and remember loved ones affected by breast cancer.  

There are even more ways to spread breast cancer awareness this month by supporting national organizations that are fighting for a cure.

Research centers like Susan G. Komen for the Cure are selling pink ribbon merchandise and it’s a twofer — retail therapy and donating to a cause that affects millions.

You can also support breast cancer research by affixing a special stamp to your mail. The U.S. Postal Service has been selling a stamp commemorating breast cancer awareness for the past 15 years. The agency has raised $75 million so far for research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.

The American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is organized nationwide and so far more than 8 million people have walked for this cause and raised about $460 million.

And you can join people from four continents in a Race for the Cure event organized by Susan G. Komen For The Cure, or an Avon Walk For Breast Cancer event organized by the Avon Foundation for Women.

TELL US: Is there a special event you participate in to support breast cancer research? Share your stories and thoughts with us by adding them to the comments sections of this article. Also, be sure to add photos of you and your friends supporting the cause to the photo gallery above.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.