October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you know what that means: socially-minded shopping for a great cause, and items that come in every shade of pink imaginable. We'll be updating this list with more companies and opportunities for philanthropic purchases.
•Sony is donating $110,000 in addition to October sales of the Reader Pocket Edition in rose, and the berry pink VAIO W Series Mini Notebook bundle. The donations will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), where more than 85 cents of each dollar goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs.
•The limited edition Sony Reader, available for pre-order for $199.99 (to be available on October 7), includes a sleek gold case and a code for four free eBook downloads for empowering works written by female authors, including I Am Not My Breast Cancer by Ruth Peltason.
•Cosmetics leader Estée Lauder launched its annual breast cancer awareness campaign, featuring Elizabeth Hurley as its ambassador. Any purchase from the line's Pink Ribbon Collection, which includes a mirrored compact, jeweled pink ribbon pin and lip color palettes, will help the company reach its goal of donating $500,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
•Speaking of beauty products Essie has released a new nail polish color called Yes We Can, Pink! in honor of this month. A portion of the proceeds will go towards Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of women affected by the disease.
•KitchenAid presents its annual Cook For the Cure, which will donate a minimum of $500,000 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. KitchenAid donates more than 10% of the purchase price for items in its pink product collection, which includes the iconic stand mixer and a pink ribbon apron.