Publisher’s note: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. People are affected by cancer in all sorts of ways and communities do various things to shine a spotlight on various cancers. This is the last of four stories about cancer.

By Kathryn Reed

REDDING – Every shade of pink imaginable floods the streets here to show unity in bringing awareness to breast cancer.

Cars are lining up before the 6am Oct. 18 start time to release 40,000 bags filled with breast cancer information. And people are coming by after the bags are gone. People could even order 150 bags ahead of time.

Smiles are everywhere. One woman boasts of being a 20-year survivor. All are appreciative of the gang of volunteers who are up well before dawn to begin the bag brigade.

The Sundial Bridge in Redding becomes pink once a year to bring awareness to breast cancer. Photos/Kathryn Reed

A school bus comes by, so did an 18-wheel Coca-Cola truck. Each year a woman who owns a vintage pink car comes for her bag. All ages, both genders are driving up. Guys are saying they are getting their bags for the women in their lives.

This is the 16th annual Think Pink event where each year bags filled with all things breast cancer related are given out in the North State. Think Pink started in Redding and it’s the Nor-Cal Think Pink board of directors in cooperation with its partners that is able to put on Think Pink Day. (It’s always the third Thursday in October.)

Education is the key. The calendar, which is a main part of the goodies in the free bag, has a sponsor for each month. Each month also has educational material. A hanger for the shower helps remind women to perform a monthly self-breast exam.

Volunteers are in pink, but so are most of the people in the vehicles slowing down for their bags.

Pink and breast cancer are synonymous – especially during October. But it’s not just people turning pink.

The fountain in front the Redding City Hall is sending streams of pink water into the air.

The restaurant View 202 is offering deals on Pink-Tinis and select food items with a percentage of the proceeds going back to Nor-Cal Think Pink.

The board approves who can do what. Several businesses have a day, a week or all month (after all October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month) where some of the money they raise goes back to Think Pink. Every business that participates must have an educational component to the promotion.

For example, the pen MD Imaging gives out says “Mammograms Save Lives”.

At Chop Chix Salon pink hair extension are being woven in for a $10 donation. All the money goes to Think Pink. This is the fourth year the salon has participated. The first year $800 was raised. The next $2,400. Last $2,500. Their goal is to keep increasing the cash for Think Pink by $100 a year.

It’s the evening on this third Thursday of October that draws the largest crowd – 3,000 last year and estimates are more showed up this year. The iconic Sundial Bridge is awash in pink. With the pylon shooting 217 feet into the jet-black night, having it turn pink was like a ribbon in the sky.