When thinking of famous Olympic athletes affected by breast cancer, your mind might first make a double axel jump to Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill (one of my skating heros as a little girl – yes, I had the haircut) who underwent treatment for breast cancer in 2008. Peggy Flemming, one of her rivals, was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and now has created a wine to raise money for breast cancer research.

But for a couple of athletes competing at the 2010 Winter Olympic games, breast cancer hits pretty close to home. American speed skater Jennifer Rodriguez is in the middle of her 4th Olympic appearance, but this year it almost didn’t happen after her mother, Barbara, 59, died of breast cancer after a 16 year battle with the disease, during which  (and between treatments) she traveled to watch Jennifer compete at three Olympics in Nagano, Salt Lake and Turin.

Snowboarder and recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Hannah Teter is a part of the Boarding for Breast Cancer organization, and actively raises money for a variety of charities.

US Olympic Bobsledder Emily Azevedo was 5 when she found out her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she says, her mother has dedicated her life to raising awareness for breast cancer. So now, Emily Azevedo has partnered with the NBCF to bobsled for breast cancer awareness.

During the torch running, Canadians even wore their support along the way:

Torch-followers are encouraged to wear pink as breast cancer survivor Judy Caldwell carries the torch on a 300-metre segment through downtown Vancouver this morning.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is asking people to line Caldwell’s route along Denman Street at Davie, to the Inukshuk on Beach Avenue, with everything pink, from wigs to boas, scarves and T-shirts. Caldwell, founder of CBCF, will carry the torch at 7:50 a.m.

What could be a better fashion statement this fall than one that makes a real statement? Wrap yourself or a loved one battling breast cancer in a cotton, blended fabric or cashmere scarf that shows you care. It’s like wearing a hug!

Pink Ribbon Fashion Scarf from Tolani

Tolani Cancer Awareness Scarf in Ivory and Black

100% Cotton scarf in Ivory or Black with sharp looking Pink Ribbon symbol. Regularly $85.00, on sale for $49.00 through 10/25 Buy it Now>>

Wrapped in Love Scarf for Breast Cancer Awareness

• 55% linen, 45% rayon blend

Exclusively from the Pink Ribbon collection at Red Envelope, who will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, an organization dedicated to a world without breast cancer. $39.95 Get it Now >>

Think Pink Baby Blanket

$50.00

Careful! You’ll fall in love with this socially responsible shopping site for baby products and baby clothes! Beyond happy babies, this site is also helping support the Breast Cancer Awareness initiative!

Purchase a Think Pink Fleece Blanket (a giggle exclusive!) and 10% of all proceeds will go to the Young Survival Coalition in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Plus, there’s one more thing to feel good about: this super soft blanket is also made from recycled soda pop bottles!

Giggle Pink Swaddle Blanket for Breast Cancer Awareness:

giggle Ultimate Swaddle Blanket – Circles

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 10% of proceeds from the pink giggle Ultimate Swaddle Blanket will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition.

Christina Applegate Breast Cancer Survivor -photo by flickr user CC

Since her very public battle with breast cancer last year, and radical (and controversial) decision* to undergo a double mastectomy, Christina Applegate became the latest celebrity to become a spokesperson for the disease, and help raise awareness and research funds through a number of charitable organizations.In 2009, Christina Applegate became the official ambassador for Lee National Denim Day, which takes place on Friday October 2, 2009.

Christina Applegate talks about Lee Denim Day, her improvement in her overall health, revealed her twitter handle (she said Christina Applegate wasn’t available! we’re following all your Denim & #BCAM tweets now!) and shakes her booty in a recent visit to the Ellen DeGeneres show:

It’s not to late to get your company or school on board to participate in National Denim Day, go here to set up your team and donate your $5. Do it even if your company didn’t organize an official denim day or if you forgot to wear jeans on Friday, October 2, 2009. And mark your calendar to sign up for National Denim Day 2010.

You can also become a fan of Lee National Denim Day on Facebook.

13 Years of Denim Day

In the 13 years since the inaugural Lee National Denim Day, Lee National Denim Day has raised more than $75 million for the fight against breast cancer and unites nearly one million supporters nationwide each year. You can also shop online for for Women’s Lee Jeans.

*personally, I completely support and applaud Christina Applegate’s decision to go for the double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, despite the fact that she was fortunate enough to be in the early detection club. I wouldn’t think twice about doing the same  if I am ever in her position, given a similar family history.

I declare, by the power vested in me by no one, yet supported by my amazing friends in real life, and hopefully on the interwebz, that this year,  Friday October 23, 2009 will be the chosen day for the OFFICIAL Pink Ribbon Edition Snuggie Pub Crawl for Breast Cancer Awareness across the nation. On this evening, we’ll be hosting a local Snuggie pub crawl event, and we think you should organize one in your area too!

Ever since the As Seen On TV product became a selling sensation (even if it is because of its slightly humorous appeal) informally to formally organized “Snuggie Pub Crawls” started popping up across the nation. Massive groups of Snuggie enthusiasts have been seen in various locales toasting to its toasty-ness!

This month, in honor of the 2009 Limited Edition Pink Ribbon Snuggie™ to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation coinciding with the nation’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a group of us decided to organize and host our own Pink Ribbon Snuggie Pub Crawl in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 23rd, 2009. Our goals for this event are to: have a ton of fun, raise awareness for breast cancer, and hopefully, also raise a little money for a local breast cancer organization along the way.

We know what you’re thinking – but wait, you can’t have a pub crawl in Salt Lake City, Utah! Thanks to the private club scrubbing power of the Utah lawmakers, ever since July 1st, memberships to Utah bars are a thing of the past. It’s easier than ever to enjoy an adult beverage or Designated Driver dr pepper at the libation station of your choice. This fact has been scientifically proven by the large bar crawl event held in July to celebrate the change in the laws:

We’ll be setting up our official stops (although I think it will be far less than 14) in the next few weeks, setting up potential donations from the hosts bars or anyone else who wants to contribute, to be donated to a local Salt Lake City organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness and support. While we won’t have the advantage of free bus transportation and cab fare, we encourage anyone attending one of these events to drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

You too, can plan your own October 23rd Pink Ribbon Snuggie Pub Crawl for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2009 in just THREE easy steps:

1. Secure a pink ribbon Snuggie for yourself and tell your friends.
2. Read these tips on how to plan a successful Snuggie Pub Crawl.
3. See if you can set up a fundraising effort with pub hosts or create a donation page for your local event, and find a local breast cancer related charity to support.

Even if you don’t set up a formal fundraiser, you can still organize or participate in a Pink Ribbon Snuggie Pub Crawl to raise awareness and have a blast doing it.

Tell us where you’ll be participating a Pink Ribbon Snuggie Pub Crawl on October 23rd to spread the word! We’ll be posting updates leading up to the event including details on the SLC, UT Snuggie Pub Crawl, as well as listing locations of other pink crawls, and we’ll tell you where to upload your pics from the festivities.

You can visit the SLC UT pink ribbon SNUGGIE facebook event page here.