6 Ideas for Untraditional Breast Cancer Fund-Raisers

All of the dishes served at the New York restaurant Hotel Chantelle during October are served on pink plates in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The restaurant will donate $1 for every dish sold during the month to Komen Greater NYC as well as offer guests the option of increasing their donation by ordering a nonedible “appetizer” for $5 or an “entrée” for $20. The restaurant has a similar promotion in its London location.

Pink Lotus, an LED light sculpture by artist Grimanesa Amorós, will adorn the façade of the Peninsula New York through November 15. Circa 1881 curated the installation, which is part of the Peninsula in Pink initiative in which all the Peninsula Hotels in Asia, North America, and Europe engage in efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event launched in 2010 and this year had an artistic theme, “the Art of Pink.” A portion of sales of spa treatments, Pink Afternoon Tea, and cocktails are donated to the breast and ovarian cancer support organization Share.

Models wear designer-made wedding gowns fashioned from Cashmere Bathroom Tissue at the annual White Cashmere Collection Fashion Show in Toronto. The 12th annual event, held September 29 at the Carlu, drew 250 guests including Toronto Mayor John Tory. The public is invited to vote on their favorite couture creations, with $1 per vote up to $10,000 donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Voting continues through November 3.

The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco has several initiatives to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, starting with the building itself. The hotel is illuminating its landmarked neoclassical exterior in pink for the month of October. It also has several philanthropic tie-ins that support the Bay Area-based Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. It collects gently used handbags for the fund’s “This Old Bag” fund-raiser, which will be auctioned off at an event Friday at the Bently Reserve. The hotel will donate a portion of sales from guests who order the Pink Afternoon Tea—complete with savory items and pink-hued sweets—and the “Pink Promise” cocktail.

Breast cancer survivors who attend the Eat to the Beat fund-raiser in Toronto are encouraged to create food-inspired corsets to wear to the event. The culinary fund-raiser, which benefits Willow Breast & Hereditary Cancer Support, features a lineup of 60 female chefs. This year’s edition will take place at Roy Thomson Hall on October 27.

Guests staying at the Courtyard New York Manhattan/Midtown East have the option of booking a pink-theme suite, with the hotel donating $100 per stay to the breast cancer nonprofit Komen Greater NYC. The suites are adorned with pink pillows and linens, and guests receive a swag bag with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure T-shirts, armbands, and a pin, along with a donation card for additional contributions. Guests also may select two promotional items from Susan G. Komen that are mailed to them after their stay.