Today, we present you with our second segment of local moms who kicked cancer’s ass. Julie Murphy Wells is known and loved by many in the D.C. area for two things—as the lead singer of the popular band Eddie from Ohio and as a breast cancer survivor.

Many retailers are donating part of their sales to breast cancer awareness organizations. Here are a few of our faves:

Who doesn’t love a great new lipstick? Bobbi Brown has a special pink lipstick and gloss combo. The organization will donate $35,000 of proceeds to breast cancer awareness.www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

One of my very favorite sets of make-up brushes – and oh, so reasonably priced! How cute is this case? www.target.com

My Kitchen Aid mixer is by far my favorite small kitchen appliance in my kitchen {well, maybe second to the coffee maker…}. Consider getting one of the adorable Kitchen Aid mixers if you’re shopping for one, or looking for a great gift for mom, or your BFF. Kitchen Aid donates a percentage of all pink product sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. www.kitchenaid.com
 

October is breast cancer awareness month. “The mortality rate from breast cancer in Washington DC is thirty-one percent - the highest of anywhere in the nation – so it is a particularly important issue in this area,” affirms Erin Blank of Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Organizations have taken the time to talk about the strides they have made and some special events they have planned for this month.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer names areas that are benefiting from your contributions such as awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services and scientific research. In addition to the walk, there is a big event on October 4, 2009. “You can spend the day at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins Medical Institute where we have paired to do breast cancer education and a training walk,” says Blank. You will learn about advances in research from physician scientists, enjoy light refreshments and go on an hour walk. Avonwalk.org

The National Breast Cancer Coalition is involved with legislative, scientific and regulatory decisions. “We are a nonprofit patient advocacy organization that focuses on ways to fight breast cancer through political actions, finding scientific evidence-based studies and getting the public involved with making a difference in government as well as science,” describes Meredith Elkins, vice president of marketing and communications at the National Breast Cancer Coalition. The organization is proud to have raised over 2.1 billion dollars for the Department of Defense’s breast cancer research program and to have encouraged the Clinton administration to make a national action plan on breast cancer which collaborated with government, science, private industry and consumers. “We are working to address the link between environment and breast cancer,” says Elkins of what is to come. Stopbreastcancer.org