Prominent men don pink, raise money to boost awareness

Who better to bring attention to a cause in Las Vegas than 18 of the city’s most prominent men? Sporting pink every day in October, participants in the American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink campaign by the have each pledged to raise awareness, and funding, for breast cancer.

To date, the Real Men have raised $16,000, just as the campaign is kicking into high gear for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“The initial goal they set was a couple thousand,” said Bryan Lindsay, general manager of Red Rock Resort, of his individual fundraising goal. “We hit that right away, and I had them bump it up to 10.”

In 2013, a group of men in Tennessee decided to show their support for the cause by donning pink clothing. It sparked a campaign, and a challenge for Real Men to wear pink every day in October as well as raise $2,500 each.

“The response from the community has been amazing! Especially from the men who feel like they now have a way to show their support and increase awareness about breast cancer,” said Nick Bressler, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Real Men Wear Pink manager for the American Cancer Society. “It’s amazing how many calls a day we get from men inquiring about this campaign and the overall excitement surrounding it.”

But what about the wardrobe?

“I’ll be wearing pink ties, shirts, socks and all kinds of crazy things,” Lindsay said, “which is fun because I have the executives and the shift managers — and anybody who wants — wearing pink to represent and create awareness. And some will donate funds in order to be able to be ‘granted permission’ to wear special pink clothing items.”

His standard fare will be a newly purchased pink tie and matching shirt for his Friday and Saturday nights.

And for the boa he wore at the Aug. 10 kickoff event at Red Rock Resort? “That was a prop, but I might have to track that prop down and hoard it over the weekends.”

Cancer hits close to home for Lindsay, whose father died a few years ago after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

“We found out a few days after Christmas that year, and he was gone by St. Patrick’s Day,” he said. “Just the cancer portfolio of diseases has kind of riddled my family, whether is pancreatic cancer or colon cancer or lung cancer, so any support that iI can give to help somebody else be a survivor is really the main reason why I’m putting my efforts into this.”

More than 24,000 participants are expected to walk during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Red Rock Resort on Oct. 30, and these 18 Real Men are likely to be engulfed in a sea of pink support.

“So many male leaders in our community have an extended and influential reach,” said Carol Roder, director of division communications for the American Cancer Society.

“They interact and engage with a wide variety of people, she said. “Using contacts we have internally, we invited men who have an interest, concern, connection to breast cancer if they would like to help us share our message about breast cancer by using their personal and professional reach.”

But their efforts won’t be ignored among the thousands at the walk, the top fundraiser will be announced at the Pink Party in November.

“And, we will host a Pink Party in November where we will announce the top fundraiser and present him with an exclusive prize.

“This campaign is highlighting the vital role that men often play as the caregiver and source of strength and hope for their loved ones,” she said.