Pink Together: Unique Community to Connect & Share Breast Cancer Stories #myblogspark {giveaway}

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and as a MyBlogSpark blog member, I was provided information about a unique community, Pink Together, where members can connect and share breast cancer stories and offer encouragement and hope to others.  Cancer can feel so isolating and it can be a great comfort to connect with others who have trod the path, know the fear, and have overcome adversity.  They're there to cheer on those who are struggling and to offer encouragement to keep the hope alive.

A Little About Pink Together 

• Visit PinkTogether.com to share your personal story and messages of hope and read about others´ personal journeys. 

• General Mills wants to encourage personal connections.  They'll donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the Komen organization for each Message of Hope that is sent to someone who shared their story on  PinkTogether.com during October. The Message of Hope donation is in addition to a $2 million donation General Mills is making to the Komen organization. Look for specially marked boxes of General Mills cereals because many are turning pink in October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

• For the first time in its five-year history, consumers can choose how $1 million of the donation will be shared between two Komen programs:  Treatment and Assistance Program, a program which helps women secure the care they may otherwise be unable to afford, and Prevention Research, which is working toward preventing breast cancer.

How Breast Cancer Touched My Life:  My Younger Cousin

Has breast cancer touched your life or someone in it?  My younger cousin was diagnosed a few years ago and she took that cancer by the horns and kicked it to the curb. Her positive can-do attitude fortified her during her struggle.  She lost her hair to chemo (most do) and was surprised to see her new locks come in a bit darker and curly.  Curly?  She'd always had straight hair.  She embraced the new her and hopes to complete a clinical trial in the near future with an eye on perhaps finally starting a family of her own.  She was in her early 30s when diagnosed and newly married.  To say that breast cancer came out of left field is an understatement.  She has no embarrassment about talking to family members about the importance of monthly breast exams. Don't just assume you don't need to be checking for lumps while you're young.  She found hers early and had a great outcome.

Giveaway How would you like to win a Pink Together prize pack?  I knew you would!  Please enter and encourage others to enter by sending them a link to this contest.  Spread the hope and message of Pink Together!  One lucky winner will win this prize pack:

• A 16 oz. box of Total cereal
• VIP coupons valid for one box of Cheerios and Multigrain Cheerios cereal and one cup of Yoplait yogurt
• Betty Crocker Living with Cancer Cookbook Pink Together Edition, which includes a collection of more than 150 delicious recipes with complete nutrition information and a 32-page Pink Together Survivor Ambassador bonus section that shares inspirational personal stories of survival as well as recipes
• Water bottle and removable silicone awareness bracelet
• Drawstring sport backpack
• Rhinestone ear buds

This giveaway will run through October 17, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern time with the winner being selected via Random.org on or about October 18, 2011.  Winner shall be notified via email and asked to respond within 48 hours to provide shipping information.  If winner does not respond within that time frame, a new winner will be selected.  This giveaway is only valid for US residents who are 18 or older.  The mandatory entry is required before additional bonus entries are considered.  Please ensure that you leave an email within a comment (preferably mandatory comment) or that your email is visible via your public profile.  Please take advantage of extra entry options to increase your chance of winning.  Remember, sharing this contest also shares Pink Together with others who may find comfort in the community.

Mandatory Entry:  Leave a comment letting me know the first name of someone you know who has been touched by cancer, breast cancer or otherwise!

Extra Entries:  Each action is one extra entry (leave a separate comment for each action you complete)

• Visit Pink Together on Facebook and vote for either Research or Treatment Assistance and leave a comment letting me know which you chose.  Voting is open until April 2012 (if you've gotten here after the contest closes!)  I voted for Treatment Assistance.  Someone very close to me is going through cancer right now and has no health insurance.  Cancer is a scary thing to face, and you shouldn't have to worry about whether you can afford to treat it.  While you're there, check out the stories of hope and be inspired.

• Be/Become my Google Friend (right side bar)

• Like or have Liked Making Ends Meet on Facebook  Feel free to say hi (not required to enter)

•  Tweet out this giveaway.  You can do this daily, just leave a separate comment for your daily twitter tweets and include a link to your tweet. Suggested tweet:  Learn more about Pink Together during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, plus win Pink Together prize pack! #myblogspark http://ow.ly/6PogF

• Share this giveaway post with your friends and family on your Facebook wall.  You can do this entry daily.  Please leave a link to your share if possible.

• Subscribe to Making Ends Meet via email.  (right side bar)

And one last extra bonus entry:

•  Enter another blogger's Pink Together contest.  Let me know which blog you entered at.  Here's a short list of other blogs hosting this same contest:

Centsable Momma (ends 10/10)

Happy Nester (end date not listed)

Bargain Hunting Moms (ends 10/15)

We Share With You (ends 10/15)


The Midlife Woman (ends 10/23)


Disclosure:  The Pink Together prize pack, information and coupons have been provided free of charge by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.