Bakeries join up with NGO in Breast Cancer Awareness Month cookie campaign

All proceeds from the baking sale will go to the NGO One in Nine.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
CHEF PAULINE SHOVAL takes a bite of ‘My Pink Cookie.’ 370 (photo credit: Karen Gillerman Harel)
CHEF PAULINE SHOVAL takes a bite of ‘My Pink Cookie.’ 370
(photo credit: Karen Gillerman Harel)
Some 12 bakery and confectionery chains across the country have teamed up with the NGO One in Nine to raise funds ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place in October.
As part of the initiative, known as “My Pink Cookie” and led by French-born chef Pauline Shoval, the bakeries will be selling different kinds of limited-edition pink cookies throughout the month.
All proceeds from the sale will go to the NGO – which strives to raise public awareness of breast cancer and advance breast health in Israel – in order to provide patients and their families with support and information.
“Until two years ago, I did not look at the issue of breast cancer. It didn’t affect me,” Shoval said in a statement.
“Like most young women, I simply overlooked the subject.”
After discovering, however, that her mother had been diagnosed with the disease in 2011, Shoval said she realized that “no one is immune. It really can happen to anyone.”
According to Shoval, “the ‘My Pink Cookie’ products aim to raise awareness among women to be tested and stop the disease in time.”
Among the participating pastry chefs and bakeries are Eran Shvartzbard, the Shemo bakery, the Reviva and Celia restaurants, the Dudu Outmezgine bakery, Oren Becker, cafe Idelson 10, the Biscotti bakery, the Loveat cafe, the Lehamim bakery, the Boutique Central bakery, and cookbook author Pascale Perez-Rubin.
One in Nine chairwoman Irit Panet said the NGO was “very excited to be joined by the chefs,” something she said should not be taken for granted.
“We hope that this activity will make women stop for a moment in the race of life and get examined,” she explained. “It is important for every woman age 25 and older to remember to take a combination of routine tests in accordance with her age and risk group.”
According to the organization, over 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, making it the most common form of cancer in Israel. About 900 women die from the disease every year.
In addition, 25 percent of breast cancer patients in the country are under the age of 50.
The Israel Cancer Association also stated that about 90% of patients can be cured if the disease is detected at an early stage. Fear, lack of knowledge, or misinformation regarding breast cancer are factors that prevent many women from undergoing early detection exams, the most effective proven means of fighting breast cancer.