Bargain Hunter: ‘Pinktober’ can link consumers to a cause

Growing up in the Texas Hill Country, I was your typical all-American boy, playing sports and dreaming of reaching the Super Bowl, World Series or World Cup some day. The camaraderie of the team, the pride of being an athlete and the cheering fans were intoxicating.

Late into high school, I realized I wasn’t actually professional material, and the excitement of game day was gone. Or so I thought. I never imagined the thrill of victory would return years later — and my uniform would be pink.

Last month, I was proud and humbled to walk 40 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Los Angeles with a team that included a survivor. This weekend in Charlotte, N.C., a thousand people will walk 40 miles so women and men can get the medical care they need regardless of their ability to pay, and so that research teams can find a cure.

Americans have embraced what has become known as “cause-related marketing” ever since American Express and its cardholders raised $19 million to help restore the Statue of Liberty for its centennial celebration in 1986. This year, in the midst of the worst economic crisis in decades, the American Cancer Society estimates that $572.6 million will be raised by more than 1,000 breast-cancer-related charities. Many of those dollars will be generated from the sale of merchandise.

Breast-cancer awareness and fundraising efforts related to research move front and center into the public eye this time each year. It’s called “Pinktober,“ and it’s a convergence of events, retail promotions and awareness that makes everyone see (and wear) pink.

In fact, the adornment of pink on every imaginable item, along with increasingly symbolic pink ribbons, unites people and companies to combine forces, raise awareness and work to eradicate breast cancer.

So, how does this help you with saving?

First of all, it’s not just about saving money. It’s about saving lives.

Second, companies run deals and specials on pink-related items. The nice part is, when you “buy pink,“ you’re not only saving money, you’re raising awareness (and ultimately saving lives).

Third, most companies donate portions of their proceeds to breast-cancer-related charities. In fact, our company, DealTaker.com, works to make it easy to find all these deals in one place online, complete with a pink logo.

Finally, after you’ve saved some green by buying pink and have raised awareness, you may be able to take a tax deduction for certain donations.

From company logos to NASCAR paint schemes and NFL football cleats, the references are hard to miss. They transcend gender and demographics because breast cancer affects mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and friends around the world. In addition to the estimated 192,370 women who will be diagnosed this year, 1,910 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

We all benefit by supporting breast-cancer awareness through our purchases and by displaying the symbolic color, and our efforts are beginning to pay off. There are 2.5 million breast-cancer survivors in the United States. What a great return on investment.

“King of Koupons” Kevin Strawbridge is president of DealTaker.com, an online shopping Web site owned by Media General and saving people millions of dollars each year. E-mail or follow @dealtaker on Twitter.