The National Football League and NFL Players Association will support October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its largest on-field presence and a national breast cancer screening-reminder and fundraising campaign. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the initiative, called "A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives," encourages women 40 and older about the importance of having an annual mammogram.
Beginning on October 3, including the Saints' contest vs. Carolina on Sunday in the Louisiana Superdome, and continuing throughout the month, NFL Breast Cancer Awareness games will feature:
- Game balls with pink ribbon decals used for every down
- Players wearing pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, chin straps, sideline caps, helmet decals, eye shield decals, captains' patches, sideline towels and quarterback towels
- Pink coins used for the coin toss
- Pink sideline caps for coaches and sideline personnel and pink ribbon pins for coaches and team executives
- Officials wearing caps with pink ribbons, pink wristbands and pins and using pink whistles
- On-field pink ribbon stencils and A Crucial Catch wall banners
- Pink goal post padding in end zones
- The Saints will partner with ZTA to distribute Breast Cancer Awareness cards and pins.
The pink memorabilia will be worn by Saints players, coaches and personnel in this Sunday's game.
Game-worn pink merchandise and footballs will be autographed post-game and auctioned at NFL Auction (www.nfl.com/auction). Unique NFL experiences such as a VIP trip to Super Bowl XLV and a 2011 Pro Bowl Spa Retreat Experience in Hawaii also will be up for auction. All NFL Auction proceeds during the month of October will benefit the American Cancer Society and team charities. Special pink merchandise will be available at www.NFLShop.com, in stadium retail stores, at Dick's, Hatworld and Lids, with a portion of proceeds going to breast cancer charities.
From cleats to gloves, towels to caps, NFL partners including Nike, Reebok, adidas, Gatorade, Wilson, Under Armour, Cutters Gloves, McArthur Towel and Sports and Longaberger are creating pink merchandise for Breast Cancer Awareness games. Many NFL licensees also will create special pink product, with a portion of proceeds benefitting breast cancer charities. In addition to creating pink sideline towels for players, Gatorade sideline carts will feature pink ribbon decals during October. Trading card companies Panini and Topps will produce special pink trading cards featuring facts on breast cancer; they will be available, free of charge with purchase, at stadium retail stores.
In addition to the pink landmarks throughout the stadium for Sunday's game, as well as the pink equipment being worn by players and pins and caps being worn by coaches, the Saints are also playing an active role in the fight against breast cancer throughout the month.
The Saints are participating in the local Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to be held at City Park in New Orleans on Saturday, October 23. Saints Owner/Executive Vice-President RITA BENSON LeBLANC will participate in the race and serve as honorary chair.
The October 3, 24, & 31 games will feature Breast Cancer Awareness reminders on the message and halo boards.
Team partner, Ochsner Health System, will recognize breast cancer survivors during an in-game presentation at the October 31 game as part of their Ochsner Heroes program. Benson LeBlanc also filmed a PSA in support of Ochsner's "Ochsner Goes Pink" BCA campaign.
