Take the Pledge: No Pink for Brinker in October

Susan G. Komen founder Nancy Brinker via Jason Pier/Flickr[/caption

October is such a busy month for breast cancer fundraising that it's called Pinktober because of all the pink ribbon products and events that benefit breast cancer causes.

No other breast cancer organization is more wired to Pinktober than Komen for the Cure, which raises tens of millions of dollars from cause marketing promotions with such well known brands as General Mills, Old Navy, New Balance and Walgreens.

But the fact that Komen founder Nancy Brinker sits atop this pyramid is a disgrace, and we need to ratchet up our calls for her to quit Komen for good.

Here's how you can help.

1. Sign a Change.org petition that calls for her resignation. It already has 2,000 signatures, but we will need a lot more before the Komen board will take us seriously. Sign it now.
2. Don't support Komen in any way this month, especially at the register or with your purchases. There are plenty of other good breast cancer causes to support during October. My organization of choice here in Boston: The Ellie Fund.
3. Let's help each other find and support other breast cancer causes. The best way to motivate the Komen board is to hit them where it hurts: in their bank account. I've created a Pinterest board called No Pink for Brinker. I'll be pinning alternatives to supporting Komen and I need your help. Add your alternatives to supporting Komen to your own Pinterest boards with the hashtag #NoPink4Brinker and I'll repin them to my main board.
4. You can also leave your suggestions in the comments section of this post and on Twitter. Again, use the hashtag #NoPink4Brinker.