Getty Images
READ MORE ABOUT:
It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which anyone who can see the color pink probably already knows, and Luna Bar is in the middle of its nationwide LUNAFEST tour. I highly recommend people attend if they can. Here's why.
Smart research
Luna has a long-running partnership with the Breast Cancer Fund, which in my opinion is the best breast cancer organization around. It focuses on the environmental causes of the disease—and other types of cancer—which is something that just about every other research organization seems to overlook.
The host talked about the importance of this cause, emphasizing that more than 50 million chemicals have been registered with the American Chemical Society, with only a small percentage of those properly tested for safety. And that only one in eight women who gets breast cancer is genetically predisposed to it. So while genetics certainly play a role in determining a woman's risk, it's hard—and irresponsible—to pin all the blame on genes. Check out any Luna bar package and you'll see the Breast Cancer Fund logo.
Community support
Aside from the Breast Cancer Fund, most Lunafest events support local organizations in the city hosting the event. In Boulder, Greenhouse Scholars was the beneficiary for the evening, a group that provides support to high-performing, under-resourced students to enable them to continue their education. In other cities, the festival benefited a variety of local organizations from girls' running teams to domestic violence groups and shelters.
Good films
Then there's the key feature of the night: the films. All shorts, they varied in topic from the hardships of dealing with Alzheimer's to strangers meeting on a subway platform, from AIDS in South Africa to romantic text-messaging by telegraph. They range from emotionally powerful to animated adorable, and are well worth checking out.
Plus, you'll get to leave with a handful of Luna bars in a reusable bag.
Just one tiny, green-picky complaint: the giveaway bag also had a women's razor in it, at least at the event I attended. If they do the razor again, maybe next time it could be a recycled one, instead of encouraging more plastic disposables.
More about breast cancer and the environment:
Should Breast Cancer Awareness Turn to Prevention?
What Does KFC Have to do with a Cure for Breast Cancer?
Pinkwash Free Zone: Best Eco-Friendly Beauty for Breast Cancer Research
