The Great Pink Bake Off 2024: A sweet initiative to support breast cancer awareness
Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Ireland’s annual Great Pink Bake Off, kindly sponsored by Dr Oetker, invites bakers of all levels to whip up pink-themed treats to raise funds for Ireland’s leading breast cancer charity.
Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Ireland’s annual Great Pink Bake Off, kindly sponsored by Dr Oetker, invites bakers of all levels to whip up pink-themed treats to raise funds for Ireland’s leading breast cancer charity. This fundraising campaign kicked off in September and aims to engage households, community groups and businesses all across Ireland in raising funds for critical education and outreach programmes, highlighting the 8 signs and symptoms of the disease.
This year’s campaign has also evolved to include a special invitation to all schools to get involved, with a bespoke and free of charge School’s Bake-Off Kit being created for participating schools.
Last year’s event captured public imagination and raised a staggering €75,000 in much needed funds, with this year’s initiative set to be even bigger and better, fronted by well-known Ambassadors Louise Lennox, renowned chef and children's fussy eating expert and FM104 and Virgin Media’s Zeinab Elguzouli. Both Ambassadors are passionate about using their respective platforms to help promote awareness and encourage participation in this vital campaign.
Speaking of her involvement again this year, Louise Lennox said, “Some of my earliest and happiest childhood memories are of baking in my kitchen, and it's something I’ve proudly passed on to my children. It’s a fun way for children to build confidence, spark creativity, and learn about food. I'm honoured to be part of the Great Pink Bake Off this year and to support Breast Cancer Ireland in their mission to make breast cancer a treatable illness for ALL those affected. With one in seven women in Ireland impacted every year – we all know a family that this disease has touched.”
Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, emphasized the importance of community involvement in initiatives such as this, saying, “The Great Pink Bake Off is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together, have fun, and raise vital funds for our complimentary breast health awareness programmes. These initiatives play a crucial role in educating and supporting individuals and families affected by breast cancer, and in ensuring early detection and awareness around the 8 signs and symptoms of the disease.
"We are hugely proud of how this campaign performed last year – scooping several industry awards along the way, and we are aiming to make it even more successful this year by extending its reach into primary and secondary schools all around the country. With 3700 new cases diagnosed in Ireland each year, we remain firm in our resolve to continue spreading early detection messages in every way that we can, and the funds that will be raised through Great Pink Bake Off this year, will allow us to do exactly that.”
The campaign is generously sponsored by Dr. Oetker, with Kaylee Norris, Assistant Brand Manager, stating, “We’re proud to support the Great Pink Bake Off once again this year. October is a cosy time of year and one where we typically see an uplift in interest in home baking, so The Great Pink Bake off is a lovely excuse to get together with friends and family for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of our key campaign messages at Dr. Oetker is ‘Little Makes a Big Difference’ and this couldn’t be more true. It’s a brilliant cause that we are all keen to support”
It's super easy to get involved – aspiring bakers can simply download the Great Pink Bake-Off Kit from www.breastcancerireland.com, which includes cake toppers, Bake-Off posters, and a simple to follow eight recipe booklet, invite friends or family members to do the same, and set a date for their very own Bake-Off …raising much needed ‘dough’ for this excellent cause. The full range of Dr Oetker ingredients for your bake-off showstopper are available in Super Valu stores nationwide.
Why not share your baking success and follow campaign updates on Instagram on @droetkerbakingireland & @breastcancerireland @louiselennox @zeinabofficial