There is a particular kind of energy when a neighborhood unites for a cause, and it comes entirely from neighbors. This fall, the streets of more than 80 neighborhoods in and around Charlotte will again be lined with pink bows, a visible sign of the community's solidarity in the fight against breast cancer.
Ballantyne resident Robin Saddler saw in that local symbol a chance to do more for the community directly. In 2021 she established The Pink Bow Campaign, Inc. as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the IRS designation for a tax-exempt charity, dedicated to continuing the fight against breast cancer and honoring her mother, a 26-year breast cancer survivor. Today the campaign covers 80 neighborhoods across Charlotte and is celebrating five years.
More than decoration
To a passing driver the bows are a neighborhood tradition. To people touched by the disease, the campaign says, they are a lifeline. Beyond emotional solidarity, the rows of pink are a reminder to the women of the community to schedule their annual screening mammograms.
That reminder matters more as the medical community makes progress in early breast cancer diagnosis. Breakthroughs can only save lives if women step forward to get screened, which makes the nudge of a pink bow a potentially life-saving one.
Where the money goes
Every bow ordered through the campaign funds local work:
- The Go Jen Go Foundation, easing the financial and emotional burdens of a breast cancer diagnosis.
- MBC Travelers, helping women with metastatic breast cancer take bucket-list trips.
- Donate a Pink Bow, a partnership with Novant Health to deliver bows and hope directly to patients.
- Adopt a Neighborhood, providing breast health education and resources to underserved communities.
Join the campaign
It is never too late to take part. A display reminds the community to prioritize screenings, helps fund local treatment support and brings hope to patients navigating a diagnosis.
The 2026 Pink Bow Campaign Kick-Off Event was set for Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Aloft Hotel Ballantyne, free and open to everyone.
For more information or to get involved, contact Robin Saddler at robin@thepinkbowcampaign.org. Bows can be pre-ordered through the campaign.
This story appears in the September 2026 issue of Stroll Quail Hollow.