BOB breast cancer screening program launches a month of visibility, dialogue, and action, calling on the entire community to participate.
During the month of October, Aruba can expect to see a lot more pink, as Fundacion ABO invites everyone on the island to join the movement.
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, BOB — Fundacion ABO’s national breast cancer screening program — is launching Make Aruba Pink, an island-wide campaign bringing together businesses, government, healthcare organizations, schools, families, and the broader community around a central message: Pink is more than awareness. It is a reminder to get screened.
Throughout October, Fundacion ABO will bring breast cancer screening awareness beyond traditional health messaging, integrating it into workplaces, public spaces, community events, and some of Aruba’s most recognizable landmarks.
More than 100 businesses, organizations, and venues are already participating in various ways, helping make breast cancer screening visible across the entire island.
However, Make Aruba Pink is not just for participating organizations. Fundacion ABO is calling on the general public to take part as well: wear pink, make a ribbon, decorate your workplace, engage your colleagues, share the campaign, start a conversation with your mother, sister, friend, colleague, or neighbor, attend a BOB event, and most importantly: if you are eligible for screening, schedule your mammogram appointment.
Aruba Lit in Pink The campaign officially kicks off on October 1st with Light Aruba Pink. Participating buildings, businesses, landmarks, hotels, restaurants, government sites, and other organizations will illuminate their facilities in pink to mark the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Fundacion ABO encourages participants to go beyond simply lighting up a building. Businesses are finding creative ways to get involved: workplace activities, pink decorations, employee education, digital displays, social media messaging, and informational talks about breast cancer screening.
The public can also take part: wear pink, decorate your home or office, share a pink ribbon, take a photo, and help spread the message. There is no single way to Make Aruba Pink; what matters is participating and using the visibility to start conversations about screening.
The goal is to create a message that women will encounter everywhere during October: Remember your mammogram.
The Queen’s Throne Goes on Tour Across Aruba One of the campaign’s most visible features will be the Queen’s Throne, which will tour Aruba throughout October.
Scheduled to appear at 14 public and private locations — including community events, health fairs, and participating partner sites — the throne invites women to take a seat, take a photo, and make breast cancer screening visible.
The public is encouraged to check the Queen’s Throne tour schedule, visit when it arrives in their area, participate, and share their photos to help spread the message further. Fundacion ABO will not only raise awareness at these events: eligible women will be able to request their BOB mammogram appointment right on site, turning conversation into immediate action.
Aruba, Let’s Make Ribbons Pink ribbons will reach schools, workplaces, homes, and community groups through Aruba, Let’s Make Ribbons. Fundacion ABO invites the entire community to craft, wear, and share pink ribbons during October as a small yet powerful reminder of breast cancer screening.
Schools, families, companies, groups of friends, and community organizations are encouraged to host their own ribbon-making activities and get creative. A special educational workbook has also been developed for children and schools, currently undergoing review with local teachers ahead of its introduction.
The concept is simple: a child making a ribbon, a colleague wearing one, a family crafting ribbons together, or a business displaying them can all help spark a conversation that reaches a woman due for her mammogram. Make a ribbon. Wear one. Give one away. Let it start a conversation.
Real Women, Real Conversations October will also feature new content from BOB addressing common questions and concerns women have about mammograms. In collaboration with Islescale, Fundacion ABO brought together women of different ages for an open dialogue about mammograms, misconceptions, fears, and their personal screening experiences.
BOB will also introduce Meet the Mammogram, giving interested women a look inside the mammography room during the screening process. By making the experience more familiar, Fundacion ABO hopes to relieve some of the uncertainty that causes women to postpone their appointments.
Fundacion ABO encourages people to watch, share, and discuss these stories, especially with anyone who may feel nervous or has been putting off their mammogram. Sometimes, a single conversation is all it takes.
“But I Feel Fine.” At the heart of BOB’s message is a crucial point. Many women associate screening with feeling unwell or noticing an abnormality. However, screening is intended for women who feel completely healthy. Throughout the campaign, BOB will address one of the most common reasons for delaying screening: “But I feel fine.”
Feeling well is not a reason to skip routine screening; it is precisely why early detection screening is so essential. Fundacion ABO asks families, friends, and colleagues to reinforce this message. If there is a woman in your life who may be eligible for BOB, ask her a simple question: When was your last mammogram? This messaging will extend beyond October as part of BOB’s ongoing outreach.
From Awareness Directly to an Appointment Make Aruba Pink was designed not only to raise awareness, but to make it easy for women to take the next step. In addition to collecting appointment requests at BOB events in October, Fundacion ABO introduced its eligibility quiz and registration form at: fundacionABO.org/BOBquiz
Women can answer a few brief questions to determine whether they qualify for BOB screening. Eligible women can leave their contact information with the Fundacion ABO team to arrange their mammogram appointment. Fundacion ABO encourages women to take the quiz themselves and asks the public to share the link with women in their families, workplaces, and communities.
Fundacion ABO Director, Nanine Ponson, emphasizes that the campaign is ultimately about turning community support into action:
“This campaign belongs to all of Aruba. Every business that lights up in pink, every child who makes a ribbon, and every person who starts a conversation helps us carry the message further. We want women, especially between the ages of 45 and 75, to see pink throughout October and think of one thing: Have I had my mammogram in the last two years?”
A Month Powered by Community Throughout October, Aruba will feature pink-lit buildings, ribbons, community events, the touring Queen’s Throne, new BOB videos, workplace activities, educational materials, and partner organizations sharing screening messaging across their platforms.
However, the public does not need to wait for an official event to get involved. Make Aruba Pink wherever you are:
Light up or decorate your business.
Wear pink to work.
Make ribbons with your children, colleagues, or friends.
Host a pink-themed day.
Share BOB screening information.
Talk to the women in your life about their mammograms.
Attend a BOB activity.
Take and share photos, tagging @fundacionABO so the movement can be shared island-wide.
And if you are eligible for BOB screening, schedule your appointment.
Behind all the pink lies a single objective: helping more eligible women in Aruba participate in breast cancer screening. Fundacion ABO invites Aruba to be creative, participate, and help spread the message to every corner of the community.
This October, don’t just watch Aruba turn pink. Take part in making it happen. Make Aruba Pink. Let pink be the reminder to get screened.
About BOB
BOB is Fundacion ABO’s national breast cancer screening program, providing eligible women in Aruba with screening mammograms for the early detection of breast cancer.
