The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) is a

501(c)(3) non-profit organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

focused on breast cancer prevention and education, based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States. The organization was founded by Shaney jo Darden and Mona Mukherjea-Gehrig in 2000, officially gaining NPO status in 2005. KAB first gained national prominence with their “''i love boobies!''” bracelets, which were the focus of a U.S. federal court case. Promoting breast cancer prevention via means of education and early detection remains a key focus of KAB's campaigns.

Programs

Check Yourself!

The CYS program creates and distributes breast health education through printed materials,

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order s ...

s, and the Check Yourself! App. Check Yourself's primary focus is raising awareness on the importance of doing a monthly breast self-check. With 40% of diagnosed breast cancers being self-detected, KAB believes that establishing what is “normal” for you is an important step to knowing your body. In 2018, over 160,000 CYS cards were distributed globally.

Treasured Chest

This program supports women diagnosed with breast cancer or testing positive with the

BRCA1 Breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''BRCA1'' () gene. Orthologs are common in other vertebrate species, whereas invertebrate genomes may encode a more distantly related gene. ''BRCA1'' is a ...

or BRCA2

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

with an opportunity to create their own breast cast. TCP kits have been sent out to all 50 states, with a large portion of them having gone out to women under 40.

Non-Toxic Revolution

The NTR mission is to inform, educate and inspire young people to revolt against the dangers of toxic chemicals in their environment and food supply, especially those linked to the development of breast cancer. Its aim is to focus on prevention as a means to maintain long-term health and well-being. Non-

Toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subs ...

Revolution also provides alternative choices so that young people everywhere can make smart changes.

Campaigns

i love boobies!

In 2008, KAB released their “''i love boobies!''” shame-free breast awareness message. This message was designed to take a positive approach to breast cancer dialogue. It particularly resonates with young people and encourages them to be open and active about breast cancer prevention. ''i love boobies!'' is focused on sparking dialogue among young people about breast cancer and breast health. Many different kinds of ''i love boobies!'' merchandise has been made to further this cause, and

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...

s from this merchandise fund KAB programs and campaigns, broaden its reach and in the past, provide grant money supporting important studies.

School controversy

The "''i love boobies!''"

bracelet A bracelet is an article of jewellery that is worn around the wrist. Bracelets may serve different uses, such as being worn as an ornament. When worn as ornaments, bracelets may have a supportive function to hold other items of decoration, suc ...

s were created by the Keep A Breast Foundation in 2004. The Foundation created and sold a series of one-inch wide silicone rubber bracelets, emblazoned with the slogan "i ♥ boobies! (Keep A Breast)" to raise money and create a conversation about breast cancer among young people. The positive and upbeat awareness-raising campaign was designed to make young people feel comfortable talking about a subject that is otherwise fearful and

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

. As the bracelets became a fashion craze among teenagers, many school districts began to ban the wearing of these bracelets as the slogan conflicted with school dress codes that prohibit the wearing of any item that includes sexually suggestive language or pictures. A dispute over such a ban reached the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * Ea ...

. A panel of three of its judges heard the case, and it was then taken up to be re-heard by all 14 judges

en banc In law, an en banc session (; French for "in bench"; also known as ''in banc'', ''in banco'' or ''in bank'') is a session in which a case is heard before all the judges of a court (before the entire bench) rather than by one judge or a smaller p ...

. The court ruled 9-5 that the school's ban on the bracelets violated the students' right to

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...

because the bracelets were not plainly offensive or disruptive and were speech conducted to raise awareness of a social issue. The

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

later declined to take up the case.

DIY Action

The

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

Action campaign was created for people that wish to start their own

fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

benefiting The Keep A Breast Foundation. KAB provides educational materials and awareness merchandise, and the events range anywhere from skateboarding and music events, to cook offs and birthday parties.

#checkyourselfie

This campaign was created to share the message of breast self-checks with friends and followers via

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

platforms. It is meant to encourage people to download the KAB Check Yourself! App, since this has become such an effective way to reach teens and young adults. This app is free to download to phones and devices. It shows and explains how to do a self-check and lets users set a monthly reminder for future checks.

Fit 4 Prevention

Fit 4 Prevention is a national movement to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention through fitness and wellness. The goal of F4P is to inspire people to reduce their risk of cancers by adopting a healthier, more active lifestyle. KAB works with studios, gyms and individuals around the country to raise funds and increase awareness for The Keep A Breast Foundation and their mission.

Past campaigns

Imagine If... was a support program intended for young people to share their feelings concerning what the world would be like if there were no cancer. It was part of the Keep A Breast Traveling Education Booth and traveled on music tours,

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

and events around the world. Participants wrote down their response on a small whiteboard, took photos with their Imagine If... response and then shared the photos on the internet and social media. ''This is My Story'' is a campaign that gave people a chance to share the impact breast cancer had on their lives through writing or video. Videos and written testimonies were shared on KAB's YouTube Channel, as well as their website and social media platforms.

Breast cast exhibitions

Keep A Breast founders developed a technique for creating breast casts at the start of the organization in 2000. The result was a white

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...

/ gauze cast that can be customized by artists. The first breast cast auction was in 2000. Some past breast cast exhibitions include: ''Tokyo LOVE show, Keep A Breast PDX, American Rag X LAB Art, Bare Minerals, Bordeaux Love, and Snow Show.''

Warped Tour

Keep A Breast first went on

Vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...

Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touri ...

in 2001, and participated each year through 2018, which was the last Vans Warped Tour. This tour was KAB's largest

outreach Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meetin ...

platform, and helped the organization to grow. On this tour, KAB had a tent filled with educational materials and merchandise, as well as

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

and employees to help educate and provide support for anyone interested. Many of the bands on Vans Warped Tour are Keep A Breast supporters. Through KAB's work with Vans Warped Tour, they were able to take part in several music compilation collaborations featuring many artists they met over the years on tour.

Celebrity involvement

Many professional athletes,

celebrities Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

, artists and well-known individuals have been involved with The Keep A Breast Foundation. Pro surfers

Lisa Anderson Lisa Anderson (born October 16, 1950) is an American political scientist and the former President of the American University in Cairo (AUC). Research and career A specialist on Middle Eastern and North African politics, Anderson served as the P ...

and

Layne Beachley Layne Collette Beachley (born 24 May 1972) is a former professional surfer from Manly, New South Wales. She won the World Championship seven times. Currently she is the chair of Surfing Australia. Surfing career At the age of 16 Beachley ...

, burlesque stars Dita Von Tesse and Catherine D’lish, musicians Iggy Pop,

Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...

of Sonic Youth,

Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead singer and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 20 ...

of DEVO, Katy Perry and Tom Delonge of

Blink 182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...

and

Angels & Airwaves Angels & Airwaves (also written as Angels and Airwaves; stylized and abbreviated as ΛVΛ) is an American rock band, comprising Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), David Kennedy (guitars, keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums, keyboards, ...

, and artists

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campai ...

, Mike Giant,

Ed Templeton Ed Templeton (born July 28, 1972) is an American professional skateboarder, contemporary artist, and photographer. He is the founder of the skateboard company, Toy Machine, a company that he continues to own and manage. He is based in Huntingt ...

and

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...

to name a few of the big names that have been supporters and contributed to KAB.

Partnerships

The Keep A Breast Foundation partners with many different companies and organizations to help further their reach. Some of these partnerships are for the month of October, which Keep A Breast refers to as Breast Cancer Prevention Month and some go year round. The support these partnerships offer include product collaborations, outreach, advertising, special events and promotions. A few of KAB's partners have included Rastaclat, HUF, True&Co.,

Valiant Entertainment Valiant Comics is an American comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim Entertainment ...

, and S.W. Basics. On October 1, 2019, Thrive Causemetics donated 100% of its profits to Keep A Breast Foundation, and donated $5 for every repost on Instagram of a certain image with the hashtag #thrivecausemetics for the rest of October.

Global

The Keep A Breast Foundation, as stated in its mission, “is a global non-profit organization 2.” KAB has had affiliates in Japan,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, Europe,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. Currently, Keep A Breast Europe is active and has a headquarters in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

, France, which was developed by Lorene Carpentier, the organizations Global CEO.

Founder

Shaney jo Daren is the Founder and CCO of The Keep A Breast Foundation. Shaney jo was born in Fullerton, CA and grew up in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

. She began her career in fashion design, which she did predominantly in the action sports industry. In 2008, she quit her job and began focusing on Keep A Breast full-time, shortly after moving the foundation out of her home, and into an office in Carlsbad, CA. Shaney jo did a

TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

talk in 2011 concerning The Keep A Breast Foundation and the “''i love boobies!''” bracelet controversy.