Hampton Bays Panera Bread Sells Most Pink Ribbon Bagels on Long Island

Panera Bread in Hampton Bays sold nearly 1,500 Pink Ribbon Bagels—more than any other participating Long Island Panera—during its “Power of Pink Day” campaign for breast cancer awareness on Tuesday, October 1. To jumpstart the month-long Pink Ribbon Bagel fundraiser, all profits from the sale of these Breast Cancer Awareness Month bagels went to related charities on the first day, and a percentage of sales will be donated through the rest of October.

More than 10,000 bagels were sold on day one with proceeds going to help further the research, support and education efforts of three Long Island breast cancer charities: The Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program. The fundraiser will continue to build with all Pink Ribbon Bagels sold through October 31.

To celebrate the Pink Ribbon Bagel kickoff, representatives from Panera Bread and WALK 97.5 Radio, along with reps from the three charities, gathered at Panera Bread for breakfast on Tuesday.

Each October, for the past 12 years, Panera Bread has baked its cherry vanilla, brown-sugar sweetened, wholesome cranberry-cherry chip bagels and twisted them into the iconic shape of “pink ribbons” as a symbol of hope to help support local breast cancer programs, the company explains.

The funds raised by Panera’s Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign, with the help of media partner WALK 97.5 Radio, will help the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition continue its support programs for families affected by breast cancer. “These monies will also be used to help educate adults and school-aged children about the many environmental hazards that can trigger the onset of breast cancer later in life,” HBCAC’s program director Karen Miller said.

Hillary Rutter, Director of The Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program, explained that the funds they receive will help provide free individual and phone counseling as well as support groups for men and women who are dealing with a diagnosis of breast cancer or who have tested positive for genetic breast cancer.

Pink Ribbon Bagel sales will also support the research of Dr. Nicholas Tonks at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which is aimed at developing new therapies for breast cancer. According to Paula Smith, a director at the lab, Dr. Tonks has identified an enzyme which has been shown to play a significant role in the development of breast cancer. He is currently designing a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a PTP1B inhibitor that may prevent metastasis. The funds will help bring the drug to clinical trial.

As part of the fundraiser, Panera Bread is urging businesses, organizations and individuals to get involved by buying some Pink Ribbon Bagels and throwing a party at work or with friends.

Last year, the Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign raised over $30,000 locally and the chain expects to top that this year.

Panera Bread has bakery-cafes in Hampton Bays (180 West Montauk Highway, 631-728-3101), Bridgehampton (2044 Montauk Highway, 631-537-2855) and Riverhead (11 Commerce Drive, 631-727-0277).