October 7-8 Designated NFL Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend
Across NFL Stadiums
The National Football League will support October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with national public service announcements, special pregame ceremonies and team community outreach. The NFL has designated the weekend of October 7-8 as NFL Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend.
The league will show its commitment to fighting breast cancer during that weekend with a number of pregame and in-stadium initiatives:
* Team Captains Presentation: Each home team will name honorary team captains from the community, who have been touched by breast cancer or are involved in fighting the disease. Honorary captains will be invited onto the field for the pregame coin toss, where captains from each club will deliver a bouquet of pink rose to them.
* "Pins That Touch Hearts": Team coaches, management and game staff personnel will wear pink ribbon/NFL shield pins during the October 7-8 games.
* Pink Gatorade Towels: Players will use special-edition pink Gatorade towels on the sidelines during the games. Players will autograph these towels and other pink merchandise, which will be put up for bid on NFL Auction, with proceeds going to breast cancer organizations.
* Stadium Give-Aways: Together with Lifetime Television, teams will give away pink ribbon "temporary tattoos" to fans attending games on October 7-8. These pink ribbon tattoos will also be distributed with all purchases made via NFLShop.com during the month of October.
* Local Team Events: Many teams will extend the national platform with local grassroots efforts. Teams will designate home games in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and plan special in-stadium or pregame events with local organizations.
Actress Fran Drescher, a cancer survivor herself, will be spreading the message of breast cancer awareness on video boards in NFL stadiums throughout the month of October. While Drescher was born and raised in Queens, N.Y. -- Jets country -- she's actually become an avid New England Patriots fan. How did that happen? She discussed it with NFL.com.
As part of the NFL's partnership with Lifetime Television in its "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" campaign, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback RONDE BARBER and Carolina Panthers quarterback JAKE DELHOMME filmed public service announcements to air on the network throughout October, reaching more than 93 million families across the country. Barber and Delhomme, the only athletes featured in this year's campaign, are two among many NFL players and coaches who have been actively involved in supporting this cause. Barber filmed the PSA to honor his mom, Geraldine, a breast cancer survivor, while Delhomme's PSA focuses on his family members who had breast cancer. In addition, a special PSA starring actress, breast cancer survivor and NFL fan FRAN DRESCHER will be played on in-stadium video boards throughout October. Drescher's PSA focuses on early breast cancer detection and on ways to be supportive of those who are battling the disease.