As it has done for several years, Washington and Beaufort County are embracing Paint the Town Pink, the annual event held in October to raise awareness of breast cancer.

In past years, Paint the Town Pink T-shirts were sold, people were encouraged to wear pink and stores decorated their storefronts with pink items, all in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nationwide, professional athletes wear pink items as part of their uniforms to show their support for raising breast-cancer awareness. As the yearly observance grows, more and more unique fundraisers and other events are being developed.

At 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today, classic “Pink Panther” cartoons will be show at the Turnage Theatre. Tickets are $5 each, and anyone making a donation for cancer research gets a bag of popcorn. Buy a ticket, make a donation and enjoy your popcorn while helping support the war on breast cancer.

“In recent years, scientists have made strides in breast cancer research, and we currently know more than ever about the disease, but there are still many questions to be answered before we can eliminate this deadly strain of cancer,” reads the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.

Tanya Dixon, a Paint the Town Pink coordinator, is appreciative of the community’s support for the event. “The biggest thing the public helps out with in promoting this is buying T-shirts. We do the T-shirts as a fundraiser. Our mission is to raise money for the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center.” Money raised by the T-shirt sales benefits patients at the center, she said.

A big boost to Paint the Town Pink is businesses that allow their employees to “dress down” and wear the pink T-shirts and jeans on Paint the Town Pink day, Dixon said.

Washington and Beaufort County folks, businesses and others have done their part to support the previous seven Paint the Town Pink observances. Expect those who have supported Paint the Town Pink in the past to continue to do so. Hopefully, others will join their numbers in years to come. The more people joining the fight against breast cancer, the better the chances of improving the chances for women with breast cancer surviving their personal battles with breast cancer.

Go pink!