In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the National Football League (NFL) and its affiliated teams have begun sporting pink equipment and merchandise. This work is being done in conjunction with the American Cancer Society and is intended to remind women 40 and older to have annual mammograms and also to raise money for breast cancer research and charities.

This is the third year for the NFL’s breast cancer awareness games and beginning on October 2 and continuing throughout the month, NFL games will include game balls with pink ribbon decals, pink equipment for players, pink coins used for the coin toss, pink sideline caps, pink goal post padding, and breast cancer awareness track jackets for cheerleaders. Junior Scott McDaniel said, “I think it’s good because [the] NFL is a large industry and one of the biggest televised events in America…so it brings awareness to people.”

Game-worn pink merchandise and footballs will be autographed post-game and auctioned at the NFL Auction. All NFL Auction proceeds during October will benefit the American Cancer Society and team charities. Indeed, last year, the NFL and its players donated more than $1 million to the American Cancer Society with the majority of the donations coming from the sale of pink NFL auction items. Freshman Miranda Cruz supports the NFL’s efforts and stated, “I think it’s good because no matter how small the act, it brings awareness and shows people how even the little things help.”

For many NFL stars the battle against breast cancer is personal. Star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald became the national spokespeople for A Crucial Catch, the NFL campaign to raise money for research, because he lost his mother to the disease. Tanya Snyder and Susie Spanos, wives of the owners of the Redskins and Charges, respectively, have battled breast cancer and also hope to serve the cause of breast cancer awareness through their actions. Junior Kyndra Fetter said, “I think that the NFL supporting breast cancer [awareness] is very cool because I have three family members that have breast cancer.”

For the average fan, special pink merchandise can be bought at the online NFL Shop, in stadium retail stores, at Dick’s, Hatworld, and Lids with a portion of proceeds going to breast cancer charities. Fans can visit www.NFL.com/pink to learn more about the campaign, the youth and high school football initiative, as well as important breast cancer detection information, prevention tips, and how to participate in their local American Cancer Society events.