This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and although there is never a bad time to fundraise for Breast Cancer Care, it’s the perfect month to make an impact with your event. Whether you’re a creator looking for breast cancer awareness activities for the workplace, a social group, or are even pivoting to online events, this article will inspire you with 30 fun and different breast cancer awareness ideas.
8 breast cancer awareness month promotional event ideas
The following breast cancer awareness month promotional ideas can be used to raise funds for your cause year-round but may work particularly well in October 2022.
1. Pink parties
“On Wednesdays, we wear pink”, as the Plastics say in “Mean Girls”. This year, the 21st of October is official “Wear it Pink Day”, but you can choose any day to raise funds for breast cancer care by throwing a pink party at a social club or student union. Encourage participants to wear pink, bring in only pink food, and decorate your venue with pink decorations. You can even curate a pink-themed soundtrack – think Beyoncé’s “Check Up On It” from the Pink Panther soundtrack, “Pretty in Pink” by Psychadelic Furs, and, of course, hits by P!nk.
2. Haircut parties
Show solidarity with cancer patients and host an event where professional hairdressers volunteer their time and skills to raise money. You could ask your participants to get sponsored to have their hair snipped, coloured (we suggest pink, obviously), or shaved off completely. Alternatively, have them pay for the services of your hairdressers and raise funds that way. Either option is an excellent way to make money and raise awareness, as participants will want to brag about their new style to everyone they meet! Another idea is to host a headwrap party like the Future Dreams Breast Cancer Charity’s Headwrappers event, which is a practical workshop for hair loss and scalp care support.
3. Doctor/nurse-appreciation breakfast
The fight against breast cancer is helped by the amazing doctors and nurses who provide treatment and support to patients. Set them up for a busy day of life-saving by hosting a special breakfast at a hospital café/canteen or another location nearby. Healthcare professionals can eat free while supporters pay a small amount to have breakfast and show their appreciation for the work of cancer doctors and nurses.
4. Golf day
Raise funds and awareness while indulging in a hobby! Hold a corporate golf day for clients and colleagues or take on a sponsored golf challenge – preferably wearing the signature pink. For extra fun, get your local club to donate a month or year’s membership and hold a raffle that can be announced at the end of the day.
5. Craft morning or class
Do you know any expert crafters or maybe just proficient enthusiasts? Consider reaching out and asking them to teach a craft class that you can advertise to the community. Everyone loves acquiring new skills, from knitting to painting and pottery. Take your fundraising further by hosting a sale or auction during which friends and family can buy participants’ creations.
Tip: Try asking local businesses to provide materials in exchange for a shout-out on flyers and posters, or buy them from a wholesaler to cut costs.
6. Learn from survivors
Consider hosting a coffee morning where friends, relatives, and current patients can learn from breast cancer survivors by chatting with them in an informal setting. Sell tea, coffee, and yummy baked goods at the event for attendees to enjoy and to bring in some cash. Some survivors may want to raise awareness and money for other patients coping with treatment.
7. “Bake a boob” workshop
Host a “bake a boob” workshop or encourage bakers to create their own boob-inspired creations to sell on a stall at a local event, such as a food festival or fete. We recommend at least one particularly large cake for guessing the weight of the boob! Encourage participants to get competitive and pay a small fee to enter their boob-based bakes into tasting and presentation contests. You could hold a “Most Life-like Boob”, “Biggest Boob”, and “Most Delicious Boob” contest, then a prize-giving at the end to create extra exposure for your cause.
8. Bra Swap
Every woman knows the feeling of having bought a pretty bra that was supposedly her size, only to get home and find out it doesn’t fit. But instead of returning it, it lies in her underwear drawer, unworn, until it’s eventually thrown out. Save the planet – and bras from the bin – by hosting a Bra Swap, during which women can exchange perfectly good bras (even if they have been worn once or twice). Not only does this fundraiser bring the importance of well-fitting bras and women’s health to the fore, but it can also raise some funds when you charge a small admission price.
10 breast cancer fundraiser ideas
The following 10 event ideas are what we call “good all-rounders” – they can be held all year round and are suitable for fundraising among the general public. Yet they can also be adapted to most audiences or groups.
1. Charity runs and walks
Possibly the most popular way to fundraise for breast cancer, charity runs and walks can reach a broad audience through sponsoring and their ability to draw a big crowd. Larger events can be fairly complex to organise, but there’s very little planning involved for a small local run or walk, with the latter not even requiring a running track. An added benefit is that it promotes being active and is an excellent activity for families or groups of friends.
2. Silent auctions
Give your guests a chance to dress up while bidding on the down low! These events usually feature a dinner or cocktail party, with tables at one end of the room where guests can bid on various items by writing down the offer on bidding sheets. Ask local businesses to donate prizes and charge an entrance fee to maximise profits.
3. Fashion and catwalk shows
Give women who have experienced breast cancer an opportunity to strut down a catwalk wearing something fabulous. As well as being a proven way to raise funds, this fun event idea could be an important occasion for building women’s self-esteem in your community. While it might not be feasible to show exclusively pink clothes, we’d urge you to at least have a pink section to promote awareness. As well as proceeds from entry fees, sell the clothing after the show for extra profits.
4. Jumble sale
Second-hand treasure is now more popular than ever, thanks to the upcycling trend. Get people to donate unwanted things by marketing your event as a chance to declutter homes. Place donation buckets around the venue and sell any leftovers on digital marketplaces so that nothing goes to waste.
5. Quiz night
Everyone loves a quiz night. Charge an entrance fee per team or person, and make money from refreshments by holding your event in a community hall instead of a pub and selling drinks and snacks yourself (subject to licensing laws). Sneak in a special pink-themed round to further raise awareness of your cause.
6. Karaoke night
Try partnering with a bar or pub to host a karaoke night to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer. It’s always worth seeing if you can negotiate with the manager to get as many of the proceeds as possible to go towards your fundraiser. Have the venue place flyers on tables to attract attendees from its existing customer base and charge songsters a pound a tune.
7. Fitness event
This event idea has the added advantage of promoting healthy activity. Whether there’s a particular interest in Zumba, aerobics, or even hula-hooping in your community, some instructors will be willing to give up an hour of their time to teach a class to raise money for breast cancer. Don’t forget to organise an appropriate venue and provide the right equipment.
8. Band nights and open mic night
You can adapt the same organisational model from the karaoke night idea and apply it to hosting a battle of the bands or open mic night. The advantage is that some local acts may already have a dedicated fanbase, so the tickets may well sell themselves.
9. Paint and sip night
Invite a local artist to host a paint and sip night – an art class with added wine! You could make it a life drawing event if you find a brave volunteer to strip off for charity. Go the extra mile for awareness and exhibit the attendees’ works of art in a local exhibition space. Ensure sure you have the model’s consent beforehand if you plan on doing this.
10. Burlesque show
Burlesque is an empowering art form and, as with the fashion show idea, a great platform for women to boost their body confidence. All things pink and fluffy are strongly encouraged. You can also decorate your venue to reflect the risqué outfits, and use low lighting and tasselled blankets to create a vintage atmosphere. Friends and family will be eager to cheer on brave volunteers.
6 workplace breast cancer awareness event ideas
Depending on the company’s size, you can expect to make some serious cash and impact with these breast cancer awareness activities for the workplace. A bonus for bosses: participating in an activity for a worthy cause can facilitate bonding and promote team-building.
1. Bake sale
Raise funds by selling pink-themed baked treats. Recruit a staff baking team, set up your stand in an area of the workplace with high footfall, and watch the money roll in. To drum up buyers, advertise the sale ahead of time with email notifications and pin up flyers or posters on noticeboards. You may need volunteers to help you on the stall around lunch and break times.
2. Dress down day
If your workplace is ordinarily quite formal, hold a dress-down day where participants pay a small amount to wear comfier, more casual clothes. Have a volunteer take around a donation bucket to ensure you get as many contributions as possible.
3. Pink pumpkin contest
This fundraising idea is particularly suitable for October, which is, of course, breast cancer awareness month. Hold a competition in which people turn their orange pumpkins pink and award prizes for the most inventive entrants. Those who can’t be there in person can send pictures from home.
4. Scarf and hat collection
Try starting a drive for second-hand headwear for patients who have lost their hair during chemotherapy. This one is more for raising awareness and doing a good deed rather than raking in the cash. The drive could include getting attendees together to knit beanies or setting up a collection point in an accessible area.
5. Office or cubicle decorating contest
Spark a little healthy competition by holding an office or cubicle decorating contest with a pink theme. It’s a great way to encourage donations on top of small entry fees and increase staff morale by bringing a splash of colour to the building.
6. Yoga classes
Yoga is the perfect workplace exercise since just 10 minutes can relieve stress, increase blood flow, and boost productivity. See if you can find an instructor who is willing to come into an office as a volunteer – or, better yet, recruit an enthusiast from the existing staff who would feel comfortable instructing. If it proves popular, the class could become a regular fixture, with attendees making a donation instead of a class fee.
6 virtual breast cancer awareness event ideas
Spread your event and message worldwide with these seven breast cancer awareness virtual event ideas. Online events are still hugely popular and offer event creators the chance to reach a wider audience, including those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend an in-person event.
1. Charity videogame stream
Gamers can earn some unbelievable money playing online video games. If you’re familiar with this community, tap into your valuable resource and host a charity videogame stream. Use an online fundraising platform like GivePenny and encourage participants to be sponsored by friends and family and post about it on their social media. Stream your gaming session live on video streaming platforms such as Twitch or YouTube.
2. Virtual quiz
Take the quiz night idea online and reach an even wider audience. Event creator BucketRace Public Events uses Eventbrite and Zoom to host competitive real-world, hybrid, and virtual points-based games. Make sure to send out any supplementary materials participants may need well in advance.
3. Cancer awareness webinars
Online webinars are a brilliant way for attendees to learn about the disease, treatment options, and how it affects patients and carers from the comfort of their own homes. It also provides a safe space for attendees to ask any questions they may have anonymously. Try asking a local breast cancer nurse to deliver a webinar, for example, on identifying the early signs of cancer, like Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance’s Cancer Champions Free Online Awareness Sessions.
4. Online silent auction
The classic silent auction can be easily held online for a fun evening of bidding and fundraising. Platforms like Jumblebee provide an online silent auction service that is free to set up and only charges on sold items when collecting payments for you. Alternatively, the platform allows you to collect payments through your own PayPal Account cheque, bank transfer, or cash.
5. Virtual craft workshops
This idea mirrors the craft workshop option but is online. Prepare for the event by sending out materials to ticket holders in advance. Eventbrite has a curated collection of crafting workshop providers, which acts as a source of inspiration for events for cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones. Options include the Happy Knitting Group, ideal for anyone who loves to get their knitting needles going, and Society X, which specialises in therapeutic art workshops.
6. Virtual card games
Online poker is incredibly popular, so take advantage of this fact for a good cause and host a charity tournament. Set a small buy-in fee and offer a modest prize for the winner, with the proceeds going towards your cause. This idea can work with a range of card games if poker’s not your thing. What’s more, the event will cost you virtually nothing to stage with the right streaming platform.
How do I host a breast cancer awareness event?
If you need further guidance, remember to consult Eventbrite’s guide for planning and hosting a breast cancer awareness event and reach out to organisations such as Breast Cancer UK, Cancer Research UK and Breast Cancer Now for promotional materials.
Plan your breast cancer fundraiser today
During the planning stages, ensure you have the correct licenses and permissions for your event to go ahead – and don’t forget to have fun! Sign up with Eventbrite now to list your event for free.
