Tagged: The Pink Cart

Resolve to Give Back

December 30, 2010 – 10:21 AM

2010 is almost over! Tomorrow is New Years Eve and many of you are finalizing plans, finding outfits, and looking forward to toasts at midnight. Lots of people have traditions of going out, cooking big meals, or watching the ball drop. There’s another New Years tradition many of us partake in – the New Years Resolution.

New Years Resolutions can be good but lofty goals – losing 20 pounds, cutting out dairy, travel more, watch less TV. And for the first month or two, a lot of us hold to it. And then we want our favorite comfort food, we feel like we don’t have the time or resources to get out of the house and see the sights, or we get overworked and decide that a weekend doing nothing in front of the TV is exactly what we need. We fall off the wagon, and we feel bad about it…until June when we start thinking up our New Years Resolution for next January. This year, why not make a resolution to do something for others, to invest in your community, to make a difference in someone’s life. Don’t make it about you, make it about those in need – and it’s a lot harder to turn your back on them than it is to turn your back on your waist line! There are many ways you can go about doing this and if breast cancer, or any cancer, is your cause, then we’ve got some suggestions.

GET INVOLVED!

Your local cancer organizations run several fundraising events throughout the year. Run a race or take a walk – whichever sounds best to you, the Canadian and American Cancer Societies have an event that will fit your preference. Join a team and Relay for Life or commit to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in the U.S, or Take Steps Against Breast Cancer in Canada. Sell flowers during Daffodil Days or decrease your cancer risk by putting your health first with Choose You. Do you like to Golf? They’ve got that too. If you feel like getting gussied up and having a night out on the town, there’s a benefit or gala you can go to and support individuals experiencing breast and other cancers in your community. Check out the events in your area and get involved!

Get Involved in Canada Get Involved in the U.S.

Take Steps in Canada Make Strides in the U.S.

VOLUNTEER!

Your local cancer organizations have events, services, and day-to-day needs that they would love your help with! Whether you would like to hand out water at a Relay for Life run, man a registration table at a fundraiser, serve as a community representative, lend a hand to patients in support programs,  or lead education efforts, there are endless opportunities for you to give back.

Volunteer in Canada Volunteer in the U.S.

ADVOCATE!

Have you ever presented an issue to a school board, registered voters, or worked on a campaign? Do you have a passion for politics or improving the lives of people in your community? Then you might find your calling by working with the advocacy groups in Canada and the U.S. Whether you build support for legislation, fight against threats to public health, or promote better nutrition in public schools, you will help reduce your friends’ families’ and neighbors’ risk of developing cancer.

Advocate in Canada Advocate in the U.S.

DONATE!

If spare time is hard to come by, monetary donations are another great way to give back. Extra funds help the organizations manage unforeseen expenses like increased utility bills or maintenance work. They can make it possible to bring on another staff person to make fundraising events more successful, or bring greater awareness to the community. They can also help to expand programs for patients and their families to receive reduced cost treatment, lodging, support services, or take part in research and experimental treatments.

Donate in Canada Donate in the U.S.

OTHER WAYS TO GIVE!

Are your resources limited? No problem, there are still plenty of ways you can make an impact. Make an effort to get your employer involved through a corporate sponsorship or other donations. Donate airline miles, used cars, or turn online auctions into donations! Your local cancer organizations are ready and willing to help you find a way to support important and necessary programs in your community.

Give in Canada Give in the U.S.

So this New Years Eve, raise your glass and make a toast to giving back. We’ve given you some ideas so leave a comment and let us know what your New Years Resolution will be this year.

By caitlint | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Go Pink! (and green, too!)

December 23, 2010 – 2:18 PM

We all know how powerful Pink is. We know that it symbolizes strength, hope, community, and perseverance to so many women and their families. But something you may not know is that when you see Pink Carts, you’re also seeing green!

100% Recyclable: Every single Pink Cart made in our facility is made from 100% recyclable plastic. This means that when your Pink Cart is ready to retire, every single inch of it will be recycled into other plastic products. If the carts come back to us at Cascade Cart Solutions, they’ll be made into brand new trash and recycling carts! The material from your cart could go into one of our Eco Carts, which is not only 100% recyclable, but is also made from up to 50% recycled plastic.

Zero-Waste: The Pink Cart is powered by green! We constantly work to eliminate waste and pollution in our manufacturing processes to safeguard the environment and our community. Our office is also a zero-waste facility which means that instead of tossing our garbage into a trash can, we separate it out into carts for metal, plastic, paper, organic compost, styr0foam, you name it. EVERYTHING (and we mean everything) gets recycled! This helps us to be more efficient, employ more people, have a positive impact on the environment and, most importantly, make more Pink Carts!

We on The Pink Cart team love seeing curbs across Michigan and the country lined with pink. We know from your feedback that you are proud to show your support for the fight against breast cancer. We know that survivors, fighters, and their families feel supported and encouraged by them. And we know some of you also display your Pink Carts as tributes to friends and family who lost their battle with breast cancer. And we love that every time you display Pink, you’re also supporting us in making a statement about the importance of being green.

As we approach our benchmark of selling 20,000 Pink Carts, we want to thank you for supporting such an important, and for us, as well as many of you, an incredibly personal program. We’re close to donating $100,000 to the American Cancer Society in support of breast cancer awareness programs, and we’re kicking off our program with the Canadian Cancer Society to benefit their breast cancer research initiatives  – bringing us closer to a world without breast cancer. We also want to thank you for supporting our company and our efforts to be green. Cascade Cart Solutions is committed to doing its part to protect the environment so that in the future, with your help, our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, family and friends will have a safe and beautiful place to live, breast cancer free.

 

By caitlint | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

The Pink Cart Rolls into Select Meijer Stores

September 27, 2010 – 4:46 PM

Mom went to Meijer to buy a Pink Cart!

The bright pink rolling trash cart that has captured the hearts of online shoppers
has gone retail! Yes, you can still get Pink Carts through local haulers, distributors, or purchase a Pink Cart online, but some of you can also simply go to your nearby Meijer and buy a 64-gallon Pink Cart along with a gallon of milk or a couple cans of paint.

The 64-gallon Pink Cart can be found at these Meijer stores.

Meijer now has another product to add to your shopping list. The cheery pink trash cart on wheels, 64-gallon in size, is now sold at these participating Meijer stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Look for them in the aisle with other plastic storage containers, displayed like this. You can’t miss them!

Meijer and Pink Cart join with you to raise breast cancer awareness.

Unless you’re a brand-new visitor, you know that for every Pink Cart sold, Cascade Cart Solutions (CCS) donates $5.00 to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help raise funds to promote breast cancer awareness programs. CCS and the ACS welcome the participation of Meijer in this effort to raise awareness and increase the number of women who catch breast cancer early, helping to stop a disease that affects 1 in 8 women nationally, claiming 41,000 beautiful lives each year.

So roll into Meijer and roll out a Pink Cart!

There could be a Meijer near you that wants to help kick  cancer to the curb! Add a Pink Cart to your shopping list, keeping in mind that they also make a great gift. A 64-gallon Pink Cart, while dainty compared with the 96-gallon rolling Pink Cart distributed by many trash haulers, may still be too big for your trunk. So take a friend with a truck,  suv, van or trailer – and remember, you can buy more than one!

 

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , , | Comments (3)

10K on 10-10-10

September 24, 2010 – 3:04 PM

Can we reach 10K by 10-10-10? Please do it for Pink Cart and me!

What’s special about 10-10-10, other than numerical symmetry? It’s the day Cascade Cart Solutions hopes to have 10,000 Facebook friends for Pink Cart! Can we do it? Yes we can, but we need your help!

10-10-10 is also my birthday. Want to get me something very special? Become a Pink Cart fan on Facebook or ask some of your FB friends to become fans. The more people who understand the importance of increasing breast cancer awareness, the faster we’ll get there!

The Pink Cart is doing its part to help women celebrate More Birthdays!

OK, now you know October 10th is my birthday and you know what I want. I feel blessed to have another, but as many as 41,000 women won’t have another birthday this year. That’s how many mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and friends die each year from breast cancer. That’s why the the American Cancer Society (ACS), The Official Sponsor of Birthdays, works tirelessly to raise funds and awareness to create a world with More Birthdays! And that’s why Cascade Cart Solutions (CCS) is donating $5.00 from the purchase of every Pink Cart to the ACS to fund breast cancer awareness efforts.

What will you do for Pink Cart on October 10, 2010?

Here’s your list of suggestions:
• Buy a Pink Cart from a local retailer.
• Find a local trash hauler that supports Pink Cart.
• Buy a Pink Cart online. It’s easy!
• Become a fan of Pink Cart on Facebook
• See how people across the nation – and soon Canada – are using their Pink Carts.
• Under no circumstances ask to know how old I am ;-)

Will one more Pink Cart really make a difference?

Absolutely! In fact, over 10,000 other people have asked the same question – that’s how many we’ve sold in nearly 30 states thus far, thanks to trash haulers, retailers, and, most importantly, people like you! Thank you so much for your support – it means the world to me and everyone at Cascade Cart Solutions and the American Cancer Society!

Jo-Anne

 

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Sherrie’s Story – Too Many Women

September 23, 2010 – 11:03 AM

Name: Sherrie Bothee

State: Michigan

Breast Cancer Connection: Lost her Aunt, Jean, to breast cancer;  her cousins and a family friend are breast cancer survivors

My name is Sherrie Bothee, and breast cancer has influenced my life a great deal. In fact, it has changed my life.

In 2004, I walked a 3-day Avon walk from San Jose to San Francisco. I did this with my best friend, her sisters and mom. We did this to honor her mom who is a survivor and doing great! This was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life. We walked 60 miles in three days. The experience at the finish line was extremely moving, and it was incredibly rewarding. It was worth every step.

At the same time, my Aunt Jean was battling breast cancer. She had been diagnosed, had a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation, she was okay for a couple of years Then it came back and it had spread to her liver and bones. I watched this poor woman battle this disease with every bit of energy she had. I thank God for Hospice who took amazing care of her in her home, so she could be with her family.

In 2005, I walked in an American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event in Rockford. My mom and my aunt who was battling cancer at the time came to see what the relay was all about. They were sitting in the bleachers. When I finished walking, I went up to the bleachers and my aunt said to me, “This is an amazing event, next year I am going to walk with you.” This touched me so. Unfortunately, the following May, just 10 days before the Relay event, my aunt lost her battle to cancer.

At that moment, I decided that I was going to start my own Relay for Life team and help fight this disease. Our team is going on our 4th year in participating in the Relay event in Rockford, Michigan. This has not only impacted me, but my mom and my daughter. They are also very active in the relay. I will continue to have a Relay for Life team as long as I possibly can. We need to raise as much money and awareness as we possibly can to help prevent, and or find a cure for cancer. Every year at the relay, I can still hear those words my aunt said to me, and it brings tears to my eyes.

Just two years later, two of my cousins were diagnosed with breast cancer; one was 38 and the other one, 48. I am thankful to say that they are both cancer free, and are survivors.

I also have had a breast cancer scare myself at the age of 42. I had calcifications, and had to have surgery to have them removed. Thank God the mammogram picked them up as tiny as they were and they were able to remove them. I am a huge advocate of getting mammograms, and I honestly believe that all woman should have them starting at the age of 35. Right now I have two friends fighting breast cancer. It seems like every time I turn around another beautiful woman that I know is being diagnosed.

We need to figure out how this disease can be prevented. Although there have been great strides in detection and less invasive treatments, the most awesome thing would be to find out how to prevent this. There are simply too many women being diagnosed with this disease.

Sherrie Bothee

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

The Pink Cart is Filling Up!

September 16, 2010 – 10:25 AM

It wasn’t that long ago that the first Pink Cart rolling trash can appeared on a curb and people stopped and said, “What’s THAT all about?” Now there are over 10K Pink Carts on curbs across the nation and thousands of people are discovering how easy it is help fund the breast cancer awareness work of the American Cancer Society® (ACS) and make a bold statement about their commitment.

The Pink Cart is $50,000 full, with a goal of $500,000.
Cascade Cart Solutions (CCS), manufacturer of the Pink Cart rolling trash bin, promised the ACS that they would donate $5.00 to breast cancer awareness for every Pink Cart sold. It started slowly, one customer at a time. But every Pink Cart was an ambassador of sorts, and every conversation that started with “Where did you get that?” ended with “I want one, too!” Soon, waste haulers got behind the program, making the Pink Cart an option for their customers. Some haulers even painted their trucks with a Pink Cart theme. CCS added an easy purchase option, offering 96-, 64- and 35-gallon sizes. As more and more Pink Carts roll to the curbs, the American Cancer Society has $50,000 more to invest in helping people understand a disease that affects almost 193,000 women each year, and takes 41,000 beautiful lives. But there’s much more that can be done.

Help fill the Pink Cart to the very top!
Help Cascade Cart Solutions fill the Pink Cart all the way to the top. If you haven’t yet purchased one, please do it now. If you don’t how to get one, ask us. The CCS $5.00 donation from your purchase will help fund breast cancer awareness projects.

Keep those Pink Cart photos coming!
New Pink Cart at your curb? Strut your stuff! Share them! You’ll find photo-sharing instructions here.

Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post here and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

 

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cassie’s Story – A Blessed Journey

August 24, 2010 – 11:35 AM

Name: Cassie

State: Georgia

Status: Fighting Breast Cancer

It’s been more of a blessed journey than a difficult one as so many others testify too. I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost a year ago. I don’t know about the timing, it would have been bad news at anytime, as my life was in the middle of a serious cluster…stuff. I had been attending school part-time and was also unemployed and the bills were everywhere.

On top of that, my teenage son and I were not getting along. The most interesting thing going on was that I was in the middle of a new relationship with a new man. Eventually, the doctor called with the bad news and I took it hard. Is there any other way really? I mean seriously? I cocooned myself for a few days and cried like a baby, feeling sorry for myself and praying for the universe to just go ahead and be done with me. I was almost afraid to tell anyone. I finally got around to telling my family and some of my dear friends and was positively shocked with the amount of out pouring of love from them. To this day it still amazes me.

Within a flash I had been shuffled off to different doctors and then into surgery. I then started weekly chemo treatments and was amazed at how quickly it had all happened. But soon enough I was fully basking in the magical love I had been receiving from all my friends, family and the new man in my life.

Now months later, I’ve lost my hair, gained some weight and have a funny looking new breast (along with an insanely flat stomach!) I wear wigs, put on make-up and still like to slip on my ruby red high heels every chance I get. The most delightful part of this journey is that I have a deeper understanding of what it means to love others and an undying thankfulness and gratefulness to all those who touched my life in the most surprising and unusual ways and my hope is to be a part of bringing that light and understanding of love to others!

Cassie L.

Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post here and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

 

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Vicki’s Story – Every face tells a story

August 19, 2010 – 3:41 PM

“Every face tells a story….” is a quote from a very special woman whose name is Traci Runge; she is my sister-in-law.

Name: Vicki Runge-Helgeson

State: Indiana

Breast Cancer Connection: Her Sister-in-law, Traci, is fighting breast cancer

As I sit across the room and look at her, I see a woman whose face radiates with love, kindness, hope, generosity, compassion, integrity and selflessness. A woman whose eyes appear to show worry but you can see the strength within, scared but comforted at the same time. Her slight wrinkles are from the hard work and the many hats that she wears, one of a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a granddaughter, a cousin, a friend and a sister-in-law. Her smile is warm and gentle. Her soul is one that you can tell that she looks at the good in others and tries to take negativity from them and create positive outlooks. Her aura shines with her faith in God. She is a woman who wears so many hats of a different color, but right now, one of the most important colors of hats or titles of her life is pink and that of a fighter. Traci was diagnosed in April 2010 with breast cancer. Even after receiving her diagnosis, Traci is still one of the most giving and thoughtful women who you could ever know. She always puts her children, spouse, family and friends before herself and continues to do so to this day. Three years ago, while she was a cheerleading coach, a mother of one of the girls was diagnosed with breast cancer. Traci heard of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank. Without thinking twice, Traci donated healthy breast tissue with the hopes that one day this would help to find a cure for the future of her daughters and others. Little did she know, three years later, she would be diagnosed with breast cancer as well. With this being said, she immediately contacted the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank and again donated breast tissue, but this time, it was cancerous tissue, a donation that has never been done before from the same donor.

As time goes by, her hats fit differently now, they are a little looser as the chemo treatments have taken her hair, but they have not taken her spirit. Her smile continues to be warm and gentle, her eyes continue to shine with love, warmth and hope. Her laughter warms your heart and her soul radiates her faith and her love of her family, friends and others. She continues still to look at the positive even at her most difficult times. Traci is a strong woman spiritually and she is relying on her faith in God to see her through this. Through her treatments thus far, she has remained positive and upbeat no matter how sick the chemo makes her. She glows from love of others and her God and knows that there is a reason behind all of this and she continues to learn and grow from it. There isn’t a day that goes by that her love of others does not shine through and her acts of kindness keep on going. When a little boy in her neighborhood was diagnosed with cancer, she made a point to go see him and do things for him that she could. Her compassion and desire to help others continues no matter how she is feeling. To this day, I look for ways that I myself and my family can help her and others as well (my mother-in-law is a two-time breast cancer survivor). I have donated healthy breast tissue and my daughters (ages 8 and 11) held a bake sale and raised $200 toward cancer research; this is only the beginning, there is so much more that we will be doing. I feel that Traci and the other fighters and survivors deserve so much more.

I write this today because Traci has touched so many lives of others that I don’t think she realizes what an impact she has made on so many people. She deserves to be recognized for the woman and fighter she is. She is an inspiration to us all.

I am so honored to call her not only my sister-in-law, but also my friend and I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Vicki Runge-Helgeson

Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post here and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , | Comments (1)

Some say Pink Trash Can; Some say Pink Cart

April 28, 2010 – 3:04 PM

Some say Pink Cart; some say Pink Can.

What do YOU call it? It has wheels and it rolls, so some say it’s a Pink Cart. But you can keep lots of things in it, so others say it’s a Pink Can. And then there’s the point that the primary use of the Pink Cart is as a trash can, refuse can or recycles can, so …

Just think of what a Pink Can can do.

Let’s focus on that word “can.” You know it can hold, tote, store and haul. But the biggest “can” of all is this: call it a Pink Cart or a Pink Can; either way it can help fund the research that finds the cure for breast cancer, a cure that can save the lives of 41,000 women each year. [1]

You can help with a Pink Can.

Purchase a Pink Cart right here, or through your contracted trash hauler. The manufacturer, Cascade Cart Solutions, will give $5.00 to the American Cancer Society for every cart sold. The ACS will use it to help fund go to breast cancer awareness programs,[2] committing $118.1 million to explore causes, treatments and, someday, cures.

Pink Can, Pink Cart – no matter what you call it, call it yours. Remember, the best answer to the question, “Can we find better treatment and a cure for breast cancer?” is: “We CAN.”

[1] National Cancer Institute – http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

 

[2] American Cancer Society/Cancer Reference Information http://ow.ly/1r2f3

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

How many tax receipts will fit in a Pink Cart?

March 31, 2010 – 1:46 PM

There’s never been a better time to find out – April 15 is right around the corner! And if you’re like many taxpayers, you’ve waited until the last minute to file and your organization leaves much to be desired. Why not throw it all into a 35- or 64-gallon Pink Cart and roll it down to your tax advisor? If you need the curbside 96-gallon model there’s a good possibility that you’ve either missed a few years or that you’re deducting things you’ll never get away with.

Buy a Pink Cart and you’ll feel better about April 15.

Not to mention February 3, August 27, October 12 and the other 361 days of the year. That’s because every Pink Cart purchase gives $5.00 to the American Cancer Society to help fund the fight against breast cancer. They’ll use it to help fund breast cancer awareness programs,[1] committing $118.1 million to explore causes, treatments and, someday, cures. Knowing that you’re helping in the fight against breast cancer should be enough to brighten any day of the year!

Kick cancer to the curb with a Pink Cart.

This year almost 193,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the heroic efforts of healthcare professionals, approximately 41,000 will not survive.[2] That’s an unacceptable loss and the affects are felt for generations. You can help put an end to it by buying a Pink Cart in the 35- or 64-gallon size, or, better still, the 96-gallon model, perfect for trash or recyclables. Regardless of size, the American Cancer Society receives $5.00 per Pink Cart sold from the manufacturer, Cascade Cart Solutions.

It’s easy to buy your Pink Cart.

Ready to join the fight against breast cancer? Contact your local/regional hauler to place an order for a Pink Cart. Large haulers have expressed interest in helping distribute the Pink Cart to customers, as have several regional, private firms. You can place your Pink Cart order online. Or you can order the 35, 64, or 96-gallon Pink Cart directly from Cascade Cart Solutions.

Send us your Pink Cart photos!

Doing something special with a Pink Cart on Tax Day? Filling it with all of your old shredded receipts now that your refund is on its way? Share the joy through photos – instructions are in the FAQ section of this site.


[1] American Cancer Society/Cancer Reference Information http://ow.ly/1r2f3

 

[2] National Cancer Institute – http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

By The Pink Cart | Posted in Breast Cancer Awareness | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)