OREANDA-NEWS. To recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, American Airlines and American Eagle are inviting customers to BE PINK this October. American is continuing its commitment to raise funds to help find a cure for breast cancer in a number of ways this month.

American has renewed its successful Miles for the Cure® fundraising program, which will reward donors through the end of October with 15 American Airlines AAdvantage® miles, instead of 10, for every dollar they contribute to Susan G. Komen®, with a minimum USD 25 donation. Through Miles for the Cure, AAdvantage members may choose to make a contribution in honor of a friend or family member's survivorship or in memory of a loved one.

Customers can give the gift of travel and support breast cancer research at the same time, as American will donate USD 5 to Komen for every USD 50 of travel purchased via the American Airlines Gift Card. Simply enter \”Komen\” in the tracking code box when making a purchase; applicable to online purchases only. To make a donation or purchase a gift card, please visit aa.com/joinus.

American is also featuring special pink-themed menus at selected Admirals Club® lounges across the country, where 10 percent of the sales of pink items will go toward American's USD 1 million annual fundraising goal.

American and American Eagle employees can observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month by participating in the second annual \”Walk While You Work\” campaign, being held systemwide throughout October. Wearing pink wristbands and pins, American's people will walk the equivalent of a 5K (3.1 miles) during the course of their normal work activities to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness for the fight against the disease. In addition to the walk, American's uniformed employees will show their support by wearing pink items, including special pink-ribbon scarves, ties, aprons and T-shirts throughout October. And, on Oct. 15, employees and customers are invited to wear pink to celebrate American's systemwide BE PINK Day.

\”Breast cancer research and awareness are longstanding priorities for American, as the disease has touched so many lives,\” said Cindy Contreras, a breast cancer survivor and American's Lead Program Nurse. \”This October, American's people and customers have a wonderful and rewarding opportunity to join the fight against breast cancer. Together, we can share hope with all those affected that one day, research will identify a cure.\”

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness month, American will raise funds for the American Airlines Promise Grant, a study of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Morgan Welch Clinic in Houston. American pledged to raise USD 8 million over eight years to fund the grant, and its support this month is focused on that goal.

IBC is one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer. It can be difficult to diagnose, is extremely aggressive and typically spreads rapidly. The goal of the Promise Grant research is to lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of IBC and to provide the first therapies specifically designed to treat it, both of which are critically important to improve the overall survival of patients with this type of cancer.

In addition to this year's BE PINK festivities, this fall will mark the 19th year that American has presented the American Airlines Celebrity Golf and Tennis Weekend, a fundraiser now benefiting American's Promise Grant, supporting breast cancer research at MD Anderson. The event will be held Oct. 10-13 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort and the Del Mar Country Club in San Diego, Calif. Since its inception in 1995, the event has raised more than USD 11.5 million for Komen.