After receiving an overwhelming response to its annual breast cancer awareness and fund-raising campaign on Facebook, Sunbelt Bakery announced Monday the company will donate $50,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). With this donation, Sunbelt Bakery has now raised more than $300,000 towards the fight against breast cancer during the past four years.
This year, Sunbelt Bakery pledged to donate $1 to the NBCF for every new person that clicked the “Like” button on its Facebook page during the month of October as part of the company’s overall effort to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to company officials, this year’s campaign was a tremendous success as the Tennessee-based company reached its goal of 50,000 new likes after 25 days.
“Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S. and affects millions of lives each and every day,” said Jeff Badger, brand manager for Sunbelt Bakery. “We are proud to continue our partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation and help raise money to support the Foundation’s efforts to increase breast cancer awareness through educational programs and provide free mammograms for those in need.”
According to the NBCF, more than 220,000 women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and over 40,000 will die from the disease. In fact, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, more than 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and over 400 of them will die from breast cancer each year. Early detection of breast cancer saves lives because detecting breast cancer early can improve the chances of treating it successfully.
If detected early (in the localized stage), the five-year survival rate exceeds 98 percent. While mammograms are among the best early-detection methods, studies show that only half of American women over the age of 40 get annual mammograms.
“We are thrilled to receive this generous donation from Sunbelt Bakery,” said Janelle Hail, founder and chief executive officer of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “This is the third year of our partnership with Sunbelt Bakery, and the company’s annual campaign continues to be a tremendous success in raising funds to help fulfill the NBCF’s mission of saving lives through early detection and providing free mammograms for those in need.”
Mr. Badger said, “Our Facebook campaign is one of several efforts Sunbelt Bakery does to support an important cause that is near and dear to the hearts of our consumers, employees and distributors. I’m especially proud in how this effort has helped raise awareness about the importance of getting early detection screenings for breast cancer. My family has been directly affected by breast cancer, and I understand the importance of early detection and how it’s the key to the treatment of breast cancer and becoming a cancer survivor.”
To learn more about Sunbelt’s commitment to fighting breast cancer, visit Sunbelt’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SunbeltBakery.