On Friday, pink is the new black

If you want your Christmas shopping dollars to go further and support a great cause, then the Pink Friday charity fundraiser is the answer.

Systemax Inc., whose companies include CompUSA, Tiger Direct, TigerDirect Canada and Circuit City, will be hosting the third annual Pink Friday on the day traditionally known as "Black Friday."

The consumer electronics and technology retailer expects Pink Friday to help raise more than $100,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer organization.

Pink Friday will be highlighted by a 12-hour webcast from noon to midnight (EST) that will feature interviews with breast cancer survivors, informational videos and the sale of thousands of products at 50% off. All of the proceeds from the sale will go to Komen.

The products offered for sale will go "live" at different times during the webcast. There are limited quantities of these great specials and they will be sold to the first people who call in.

At the time of this writing, I didn't have a list of items being offered during the webcast but some of the manufacturers involved include Lenovo, Logitech, Canon, Toshiba, Targus, Samsung and Sony, among others.

Customer donations will be collected through the webcast, online and at participating retailers. That money will be in addition to the minimum $100,000 Systemax has already pledged to contribute.

The online products being offered at 50% off will not be available in stores, but in celebration of Pink Friday, all of the retail locations throughout the country and in Puerto Rico will go "pink" with décor and bags. and you can add $1, $5, $10 or $20, on top of your purchase that will go to Komen for the Cure. In addition, all products and items sold on Pink Friday will be shipped in specially designed pink boxes.

The Pink Friday broadcast will be playing at the participating online and on-site stores, You will also be able to catch the webcast at the Pink Friday Web site.

According to data presented by the American Cancer Society (ACS), close to 35,000 fewer women are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, the decrease being attributed to earlier detection through screening, increased awareness, and improved treatments. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the global leader in funding breast cancer research, having invested nearly $1.5 billion in research and community health programs. Nearly $465 million of that was dedicated to research.

So, on Nov. 27, help turn "Black Friday" pink. You can snag a great deal, get some Christmas shopping done and at the same time, help out a great cause. That's what I call a win-win situation.

Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes tips and ideas for home decorating using only items from the dollar store. Marlene is also the author of Christmas - Dollar Store Style, an e-book that shows you how to decorate, entertain and create beautiful gifts using only items from the dollar store.