From shopping for pink gear to running a marathon, there are endless ways to join the movement to fight breast cancer. But if you’re pressed for time, on a budget or just the thought of hitting the pavement triggers joint pain, rest assured. There are plenty of options to make a difference in your life and the lives of other women. What’s even better, you can get started right now with the following breast cancer links.

1. Create an early detection plan. One of the best ways to fight breast cancer is to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. When breast cancer is found early, the 5-year survival rate is 98%. The National Breast Cancer Foundation has a free interactive planning tool to help you create an early detection plan, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org/edp

2. Click to give free mammograms. The Breast Cancer Site offers free mammograms for women in need. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. www.thebreastcancersite.com

3. Join the celebration chain. Create a personalized doll in honor of a woman you know who has faced or is facing breast cancer. For every doll created, Astrazeneca will donate $1, up to $25,000 to a breast cancer charity. www.celebrationchain.com

4. Vote for the cure. Encourage our political leaders to make breast cancer a national priority. Take a moment to sign the I Vote for the Cure petition, which outlines three critical goals in the fight to end breast cancer. For more information and to sign the petition, visit Komen for the Cures’ advocacy site www.ivoteforthecure.org

5. Join the Army of Women. The Love/Avon Army of Women is a national initiative to recruit one million women of every age, ethnicity, and breast cancer history interested in partnering with scientists and taking part in breast cancer research .Participation may mean anything from filling out a questionnaire to donating blood, breast duct fluid, saliva, or a core biopsy of breast tissue. Every project undergoes a scientific, safety, and ethical review before it can be accepted as an Army of Women project. www.armyofwomen.org

Join the Conversation!

Do you have other ways to give back to the cause? Join the conversation. Share your tips and breast cancer charity links in the comment section below.

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