Can 50 men save the boobs?
Ryan Haigh thinks so.
We sat down with Ryan Haigh from Beards for Boobs on what his team is up to, his campaign, and how it’s making a difference. Read this inspiring interview to learn more about his fight against breast cancer.
What is your campaign? What are you fundraising for?
Beards for Boobs is a campaign comprised of 50 gentlemen all working towards the common goal of earning donations for breast cancer education and advocation for systematic changes to end the epidemic.
We’ve chosen Breast Cancer Action as our beneficiary due to their tireless work in advocating for less toxic breast cancer treatments, working to decrease involuntary environmental exposures that put people at risk, and bringing awareness to related social injustices.
How is your progress so far?
Over the course of 4 days, our progress has been absolutely astounding.
We’ve earned a donation total over $5k, thanks to the efforts of our 50 fundraisers and their amazing support systems.
What 1-2 lessons have you learned from running this campaign?
Beginning this project was a completely new venture for me and I have been learning with each and every step of the process.
Setting goals and making checklists of the basic needs got me started. Everything else in-between was filled in rather organically through discussions with friends, family and co-workers.
Absolutely the biggest takeaway from this experience has been the power in numbers.
I’ve realized that it’s quite alright to ask for help, especially when you’re out of your comfort zone. People have come to our aid, not only with donations and connections but also by generously offering their specialized skills. In the end, this web of growth has elevated the fundraiser both for the participants and the donors.
What are your hopes for the next week?
My hope is that we’ll of course continue to work towards our goal, but educate more people along the way.
We’re not completely focused on breast cancer research as much as we are focused on changing the conversation. Why is the breast cancer epidemic still raging after 30 years of “awareness” and pink ribbon products? Do we have any idea how many toxic chemicals are in the products we consume or apply to our skin?
These can be uncomfortable questions, but questions that need to move to the forefront of our inquisitive minds.
How can people help?
I’d actually prefer people read about the issues before considering a donation to our fundraiser.
Breast Cancer Action has a great number of very educational webinars. I’d also suggest that people watch Pink Ribbons, Inc., a very enlightening film available on Netflix, which sheds light on the realities of the pink ribbon campaign.
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