Evelyn Lauder Dead: Founder of Pink Ribbon Cancer Campaign Dies Aged 75
Evelyn Lauder, the founder of pink ribbon for cancer awareness, passed away Saturday aged 75.
Lauder, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007, died at her home in New York. She is the daughter-in-law of the founder of cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Cos.
Lauder created the breast cancer awareness campaign with her friend Alexandra Penney, the former editor-in-chief of Self magazine. Together they created the pink ribbon campaign, which saw little bows being given to women at department store makeup counters to remind them to take breast exams.
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The initially “small” campaign grew and gathered $330 million in donations which included $50 million from Estee Lauder and its partners. Congress designated October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lauder also started the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Last month, Lauder spoke about the early days of the breast cancer campaign.
"There had been no publicity about breast cancer, but a confluence of events - the pink ribbon, the color, the press, partnering with Elizabeth Hurley, having Estee Lauder as an advertiser in so magazines and persuading so many of my friends who are health and beauty editors to do stories about breast health - got people talking," she had said.
Evelyn Lauder is survived by Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of the Estée Lauder Companies, William Lauder, Executive Chairman of the same company, Gary Lauder, Managing Director of Lauder Partners LLC, and five grandchildren.
Estee Lauder’s website dedicated its home page to Evelyn. Her picture graces the page with the words “We Celebrate Her Beautiful Life.”
