Asda’s Edinburgh stores launched this year’s Tickled Pink campaign with a roar, as they teamed up with local breast cancer group, the Port Edgar Dragons.
Asda colleagues joined the Dragons out on their boats at South Queensferry, where they learned how to man a dragon boat and raced across the Forth.
2016 marks the 20th anniversary for both Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, and the global dragon boating for breast cancer movement.
The Port Edgar Dragons are aimed primarily at those recovering from breast cancer – and their supporters, and are currently the only breast cancer dragon boating group in Scotland, with membership growing from just seven to 50 since its launch in Edinburgh in 2010.
The group now has two Dragon Boats and paddles out most weekends. A wide range of men and women come to Port Edgar each week to laugh, talk and support each other.
Asda’s Tickled Pink understands exactly how important social activities can be in aiding the recovery of those diagnosed with breast cancer. The Tickled Pink campaign contributes to the work of Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now who provide face-to-face local support services and information available for anyone affected by breast cancer when they need it most, as well as funding life-saving research.
Launched in 1996, Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign has raised over £48 million so far, transforming the work of the two breast cancer charities, who focus on helping anyone affected by breast cancer receive the best care, support and information, and funding research into breast cancer.
This year, the campaign will exceed the £50 million fundraising mark and the Edinburgh stores will play a vital role in this with in store activities and Tickled Pink charity products available to buy at Asda throughout October.
Melanie Maguire, Secretary at Port Edgar Dragons, said: “Port Edgar Dragons are delighted to be a part of Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign this year. All of our members understand first hand why this fundraising is so crucial.
“The Dragons are a perfect example of the strength those with breast cancer have, and our team proves that community spirit can have a huge impact on health and wellbeing. We always welcome new members and their families to come and discover how dragon boating can help them.”
Nearly 700,000 women and men living in the UK have experienced a breast cancer diagnosis, and for some Asda colleagues this is an issue close to home.
Gary Anderson, Community Champion at Asda Chesser, lost him mum and former Community Champion, Linda, to breast cancer last year.
Gary said: “It was fantastic to team up with the Port Edgar Dragons to help launch our local campaign today. We had great fun out on the boats, though the ladies clearly have a thing or two to teach us! All of us at Asda are so proud and impressed with what this group has managed to achieve, which made the Dragons our perfect partners in our fight against breast cancer.
“We want all our customers to show their pride and help us raise even more vital funds by making their own pink statement under the banner Proud to be Pink – enabling Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now to continue to be there for anyone facing breast cancer, from day one.”
Photos courtesy of
Ian Georgson
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
