October is the month of awareness. Most (if not all) of us have experienced the effects of breast cancer, whether it's through personal experience, a family member or a friend. Breast cancer is the leading cancer for women in the United States. According to U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics, about one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime.

Thanks to the help of doctors and our community at this time, there are currently more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. (Let's keep this number increasing!) So this month in particular, we should all attempt to do a small act of kindness and help with the fight against breast cancer. There are so many simple, local and fun activities you can do to support the cause and raise awareness. Here are some of the few ways you can get involved:

Run/walk a race:

October is filled with local races you can sign up for. Whether it's a 5k, 10k or a simple 1-mile walk, sign up and participate! The glory about these races are that they usually focus on a walking mentality. This reduces the stress of race-day anxiety and allows participants to have fun. It encourages survivors, family members and friends to all get together and have fun while walking, chatting and cheering along a beautiful course. Almost all races allow you to form a team, which is a fun experience that normally has members all dressing in a matching T-shirt and supporting a particular individual. Another plus to these local races is that all proceeds and race registration fees go directly to a local hospital or research organization. For some help in finding a local race, you can sign up for check out the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the organization that runs the the largest, most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer in the world.

Purchase items that contribute a portion of their cost to a foundation:

This is a win-win situation -- you get to buy that item you were already planning on purchasing while a portion of the price is contributing directly to a an organization, whether it be a local or nationally-known group. For example, check out your local restaurant menus -- they often create a specialty drink or dinner item that gives a donation to a local non-profit organization. When it comes to clothing and accessory options, many companies come out with a specialty line or design that has proceeds going to a specific organization. Some companies that offer "pink" products include Nike, Ray-Ban, S'well, Vera Bradley, Estée Lauder, Alex and Ani, and Land's End. (The list is endless!)

Volunteer at a local organization:

There are so many ways to get involved in your community to raise awareness about breast cancer. One way is to work as a volunteer to become an advocate for hope. This allows you to do crucial activities, such as spread attention about early detection, host or plan a fundraising event, and educate your peers about breast cancer. There are many charities that are seeking a little extra help in this busy time. To begin you can check out your local chapter's offering at http://www.cancer.org/involved/volunteer/index.

Wear pink:

The perfect shade of pink is the way to lighten a girl's heart. This is your chance to wear such an empowering (and pretty) color with pride! Buying or wearing pink ribbon merchandise is the perfect and easy way to start spreading the word about breast cancer awareness. Find your perfect shade of pink and throw it on to start spreading awareness!

Be educated:

This is crucial! It's so important that we know our family history of breast cancer and the signs and symptoms of the disease. Don't be stubborn -- get checked out! Early detection is what saves so many lives. Men, you too need to be aware, although this is predominantly an issue facing women, men can in fact get breast cancer!

Spreading awareness spreads the cure, so get involved!