While many things have been paused or cancelled this year because of COVID-19, cancer has not stopped. Thanks to the Real Men Wear Pink campaign with the American Cancer Society, the fight against cancer hasn’t stopped either.

October is breast cancer awareness month, so it works perfectly that the Real Men Wear Pink campaign and the American Cancer Society are the CBS 17 3° Guarantee charity for the month of October.

Real Men Wear Pink is a group of men taking a leadership role in the fight against breast cancer. The men, who obviously dress in pink throughout the month of October, spearhead fundraising for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer initiatives. Every dollar the Real Men wear helps save lives from breast cancer through early detection and prevention, breast cancer research and patient support.

While COVID-19 has led to many events and fundraisers being canceled, rescheduled or re-imagined, the American Cancer Society has been able to raise $11 million for research in North Carolina and $9 million of that money has stayed right here in the Triangle.

Dr. Gayle DiLalla, a surgical oncologist at Duke Raleigh Women’s Cancer Center knows how important those research dollars are. Even during the pandemic, she says they are learning some new ways to use immunotherapy to help fight cancer.

Dr. DiLalla explains “How do we get our own bodies to fight these cancer cells and that’s looked on both for coronavirus and cancer cells.”

Many doctor’s offices and hospitals did have to take a brief break from seeing patients when the pandemic starting, but now most doctors agree it’s time to regular cancer screenings to resume. Hospitals and offices are safe enough where patients don’t have to worry about going in for regular cancer screenings.

In 2018, the Real Men Wear Pink movement raised more than $9.5 million to support things like free rides to treatment for patients, free lodging for patients getting treatment, one-on-one support and of course continuing cancer research.

If you would like to become a Real Man to help save lives and raise money for breast cancer research and patient support, contact the American Cancer Society. If you have questions about breast cancer 24 hours a day you can call 1-800-227-2345

Every month CBS 17 picks a different local charity to raise money and awareness for during the daily 3-Degree Guarantee.  Each day when the CBS 17 Storm Team gets the next day’s forecast correct within three degrees, we donate $100 to that charity. At the end of the month, all the money raised is totaled and presented to that month’s group.

If you would like to learn more about The American Cancer Society, please check out their website here.