They’re BAAAAAAAACK! AIP Marketing Alliance's Vice President of Marketing Darron Markwood and AIP Financial Services President Brian Kurtz are teaming up to serve as ambassadors for the Real Men Wear Pink of Oakland County through the American Cancer Society.

For the 2021 campaign, Darron and Brian will form Team AIP with a goal of raising more than $5,000 for the charity as well as promoting breast cancer awareness through September and October. You can donate to their cause at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/teamAIP, and feel free to share this link on your social media pages to support their efforts.

As Real Men Wear Pink ambassadors, Darron Markwood and Brian Kurtz commit to:

• Wearing pink throughout October
• Raising awareness for the cause through their social media networks
• Raising a minimum of $2,500 each to help the American Cancer Society fight breast cancer

Real Men Wear Pink gives men a leadership role in the fight against breast cancer. Community leaders around the nation use the power of pink to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society's breast cancer initiatives, including innovative research, patient services, and education around screenings and risk reduction. It's one important way we're attacking cancer from every angle.

"Last year was difficult for everyone – and it was much harder economically for people to support local charities," Markwood said about this year's involvement. "Breast cancer affects so many people in our lives – I had a good friend who started her battle in August, and anything I can do to support her, and the many others affected by breast cancer, means a lot to me personally."

In 2018, the Real Men of Pink of Oakland County ranked #4 in the nation out of over 260 campaigns, and in 2019, we followed up by ranking #2 in the nation out of over 260 campaigns, according to Julie Featherston, American Cancer Society Senior Development Manager.

If you would like to support Team AIP's Real Men Wear Pink efforts, you can donate on their page, or you can attend any of the following events.

• RMWP Charity Golf Outing – Sunday, September 19th at 11 a.m. at Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills. Visit realmenwearpinkgolfouting.weebly.com/ to register your team or sponsor a hole during the event.
• RMWP Fundraiser at Arctic Circle Brewing Company – Tuesday, September 28th, starting at 5 p.m. at its location in Chesterfield Township. Arctic Circle will host raffle drawings throughout the event.
• 2nd Annual Pink Out the 'Punk – Saturday, October 16th starting at 4 p.m. at Steampunk Tap Room in Utica. Steampunk will have limited edition craft beer taps and prize drawings throughout the event.
• Making Strides of Oakland & Macomb Counties Walk – Saturday, October 23rd at 9 a.m. (walk at 10 a.m.) at 400 6th Street (Park) in Rochester, MI. Walk with the AIPMA team as we support the American Cancer Society. Learn more here.

Brian and Darron also will post updates on their social media pages throughout the next few months. If you would like to donate to their efforts, please visit their Real Men Wear Pink page. You also can contact Darron Markwood directly at darronm@aipma.com.