Two of the U.S.’s largest confectionery companies,  The Hershey Co. and Mars Snackfood, are flagging breast cancer awareness this month  by adding pink to their packaging palette.  Hershey will feature pink packaging on its Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates, Hershey’s Nuggets Chocolates, Hershey’s Syrup, York Peppermint Patties and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures from September through October. Additionally, the company has sponsored a four day, 220-mile bike ride from Hershey, Pa. to New York City from Oct. 3 – Oct. 6 for charity. A virtual online charity ride is also available to get everyone involved and support the international non-profit Young Survival Coalition (YSC). The company will also donate $300,000 to the YSC to raise awareness for breast cancer and help fund critical programming and research.

Mars Snackfood has chosen its Dove Chocolate brand to partner with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to let breast cancer survivors share their stories via the brand’s Promises of Hope, a line of pink-packaged chocolates. Each Dove Chocolate wrapper contains a special message written by a breast cancer survivor to provide inspiration to others. Dove will donate 10% of all orders of the Promises of Hope chocolates to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Also in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mars is offering other limited-edition candies, including pink M&M’s and a Promise Blend of My M&M’s. M&M’s Racing is lending its support to the NASCAR track by featuring a limited-edition paint scheme on M&M’s No. 18 Toyota - driven by current NASCAR points leader Kyle Busch - showcasing pink M&M’s and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure logo.