Thaindian News

October 15, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): Thursday night, October 14th, the palatial White House turned into a Pink House observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month. News of turning the US Presidential residence into the hue of pink was tweeted by President Barack Obama.

The tradition of lighting the White House with pink lights was started by Former President George Bush in 2008 and the ritual has continued ever since. The white building was bathed in pink light from 6:30 pm until 11 pm in the color representing the Breast Cancer Awareness movement.

Besides the White House, several monuments and major landmarks around the world observed the tradition as well. In America, the Empire State Building was turned pink, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Fedaration Square, National Library in Australia donned the color, and in Japan, the Tokyo Tower went pink for the evening.

Last year, President Obama not only had the pink glow on the White House, but also hung a large pink ribbon on the North Portico. This year the White House went pink from the Naval Observatory to the main gate, along with the North Portico.

Throughout the month of October, various celebrities, athletes, and dignitaries, will wear the pink ribbon on their uniforms and suits and dresses to mark the Breast Cancer Awareness drive. According to the statistics presented by the American Cancer Society, almost 207,000 new breast cancer cases are likely to be diagnosed this year and nearly 40,000 women will die because of it.