Ithaca, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/11/2013 -- The toughest men in the NFL are wearing pink this month. Professional, college, high school and amateur sports teams are finding unique ways to support Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, incorporating the color pink into various pieces of gear to help raise the profile of efforts to eradicate the dreaded disease. Teams are also doing community outreach off the field to help local efforts in the cause.

NFL teams have been particularly active. The league creates a special line of gear for female fans via its A Crucial Catch organization, donating over $1.5 million last year alone and close to $5 million over the last four years. Players on various teams have also picked up the challenge, sporting pink wristbands and armbands and using eye black to broadcast messages to fans to make sure they are on notice to have regular exams and to self-examine for breast lumps and other cancer-related symptoms.

The American Football Conference’s Buffalo Bills have taken it one step further, partnering in their Erie County, N.Y. home with the Erie County Medical Center and ADPRO Sports to raise money that will support a Mobile Mammography Unit for the medical center, a bus that has two digital mammography systems. The mobile unit travels throughout the area and focuses on reaching people who may not have the resources to regularly get a medical checkup.

But football teams aren’t alone in their quest to help fans and others to understand what it takes to discover and beat the disease. There are any number of high school and college teams that are sporting pink ankle braces, nose guards, athletic tape, mouthguards for braces, lip and mouth guards, and other highly-visible reminders of the issue.

The Ithaca Sports Medicine & First Aid Superstore has been busy since late August filling orders for custom gear. The store has exceeded its annual shipments of pink gear for Breast Cancer Awareness month for several years, helping to increase the momentum as more and more sports teams take up the issue of raising awareness.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has been raising awareness for more than 25 years. The joint effort by public service organizations, government agencies, professional medical organizations and others has helped promote and educate the public about the need for regular examinations and to help women take charge of their breast health.

Although the campaign designates October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is active throughout the year on issues pertaining to services, information and awareness of breast cancer.

About Ithaca Sports
Ithaca Sports bills itself as the sports medicine and first aid superstore. Their motto: all the sports medicine supplies you will need and if we do not have it ... we will order it!

The online store is owned and operated by a certified athletic trainer and Ithaca Sports has health care professionals on staff to answer any questions on which products suit your needs. The store carries braces, tape, tuf skin, ice packs, elastic bandages, tiger balm, mouthguards and much more. For additional information, visit: http://www.ithacasports.com/.