29^th October 2014 – Pink Caravan’s distinctive logo, a symbol of the Friends of Cancer Patients’ pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative, has been awarded trademark status – another milestone for the campaign that encourages early screening and spreads education about breast cancer across the Emirates.

The logo comprises an outline of the map of the UAE, dotted with pink ribbons – an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. The ‘C’ in caravan takes the form of a horseshoe – representing Pink Caravan’s biggest annual event, its pan-UAE horseback ride – underneath which is emblazoned the slogan: ‘Riding for Courage’.

Ameera BinKaram, President of the Board of Trustees and founding member of the Friends of Cancer Patients charity, said, “Pink Caravan’s logo is a recognized symbol of the UAE’s unified efforts against breast cancer. It has become a reminder of Pink Caravan’s awareness efforts and its commitment to provide education, awareness and free early breast cancer detection screening to women and men throughout the UAE. The trademark will not only help us strengthen the association, but will also ensure that the public is absolutely confident that all activities and information associated with the logo are approved by Friends of Cancer Patients – one of the foremost cancer charities operating within UAE.

We are confident that as more people see and recognize the Pink Caravan, they will be inspired to get involved by raising awareness and funds.”

A first-of-its-kind initiative launched in 2011, Pink Caravan was introduced with the vision of becoming a vehicle of change by engaging all breast cancer related entities to join together and unify UAE’s cancer awareness efforts. Over the last four years the Pink Caravan Ride has travelled over 900 km across the seven emirates, involving more than 250 riders and 200 volunteers. To date, the campaign has provided free early detection screenings to 28,091 women and men of all nationalities across the UAE. As part of its mission to spread awareness, lectures and presentations have also been delivered at 84 educational institutes in the country.

This achievement of trademark status comes at the perfect time for Pink Caravan. October is a particularly high-profile month, given the campaign’s vital role at the forefront of supporting and promoting International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, the campaign is aiming to provide as many as 1,500 free cancer screenings during this October, through a series of partnerships with numerous private and public sector entities and educational institutes. These events will see medical teams from the Pink Caravan visit each partner, offering free screenings and providing awareness lectures on the importance of regular self-examination as a precaution against breast cancer.

Pink Caravan’s efforts are focused predominantly on spreading awareness about the importance of early detection and providing access to screening technology across the UAE, as well as alerting women and men to the critical importance of regular self-screening. By far the most effective defense against breast cancer is early detection, which results in survival rates as high as 98%.