Breast cancer knows no barriers and does not discriminate. It does not care about the color of your skin, the country you live in, or whether you are young or old.

This October 2009, over 70 countries including the Philippines will participate in The Estee Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and unite under one common theme: “World Pink. World Without Breast Cancer.ä Wear a Pink Ribbon, Make a Difference.”

The Estee Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Campaign was established in 1992 by Evelyn H. Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. and Alexandra Penney, then Editor-in-Chief of SELF magazine. The tandem co-created the Pink Ribbon, which today has become the ubiquitous symbol for breast health. Since then, The Estee Lauder Companies has raised millions of dollars for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) which is dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. By the end of 2009, the BCA campaign will have so far distributed over 85 million Pink Ribbons and millions of informational brochures on breast cancer emphasizing the importance of breast health and early detection.

See calendar of activities.

Elizabeth Hurley, Estee Lauder and BCA Campaign Spokesmodel, is a passionate and unyielding ambassador who travels around the world with Evelyn Lauder to illuminate historic landmarks in pink lights and spread the message of the importance of early detection. The Global Landmark Illumination Initiative, which celebrates its 10^th year anniversary, will involve more than 200 landmarks worldwide which will be lit in pink lights to spread the message of hope and awareness. Among the landmarks which have been illuminated in the past 10 years include the Empire State Building in New York City, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Niagara Falls in Canada, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, Belvedere Castle in Austria and the Tower of London in the United Kingdom.

In support of the worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, sought-after brands under The Estee Lauder Companies in the Philippines will hold a Wellness Weekend from October 9 to 11, 2009 at Heaven on the 5^th, Rustan’s Makati. October 9 is exclusively dedicated for I Can Serve members and supporters while October 10-11 is open for the general public. Paticipating brands include Aramis Design Fragrances, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Estee Lauder, and La Mer.

Among the activities include yoga sessions to be conducted by Iyengar Yoga Center Manila Studio (IYCM). InterContinental Hotel’s chefs will host a “Go Organic” Cooking Demonstration. BEKA, a German brand of stainless steel cookware will support the event by providing cooking tools and utensils for the cooking demonstrations. The different brands will be offering variety of services and treats including fragrance profiling by Aramis Designer Fragrances; dermatologist consultations and custom-fit foundation samplings by Clinique; free engraving of lipsticks and compacts, advanced skin profiling and I-Match Looks by Estee Lauder, and “The Essentials” transformational treatments by La Mer. Workshops include Clinique’s Star Skin Care Event on October 10 and Bobbi Brown’s Mastering the Basics on October 11.

This year’s BCA Campaign supports ICanServe Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit foundation. ICanServe Foundation promotes early breast cancer detection through high impact information campaigns and community-based screening programs. Its network of volunteers, led by cancer survivors themselves, is fully committed to providing hope and help for women and men with breast cancer.