Marriott International TürkiyeThirty-four female employees from 14 hotels affiliated with Büyükada gathered for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Marriott International business partners, dressed in pink and carrying the slogan "Pedalizing Hope with Pink," pedaled together for the "Pink Bike and Awareness Ride" held on Büyükada. The bicycle procession, which wound its way through Büyükada's unique natural beauty and quiet streets, attracted considerable interest and support from island residents and day visitors.

A Donation Model That Brings Social Responsibility and Technology Together

One of the most striking aspects of the event was the donation model that combined modern technology with social good. Participants converted every physical step they took and every pedal stroke into a donation through the app. This digital donation platform supported the Cancer-Free Life Association. Additionally, 14 hotels organized a fundraising campaign for the Breast Health Association (Memeder). Marriott Business Council Turkey will continue its donations throughout Awareness Month. This meaningful gathering strengthened solidarity for Breast Cancer Awareness Month while also sending a hopeful message of social awareness.

Source: HORECA TREND and Marriott International Türkiye

The only palace and hotel from the Ottoman Empire on the Bosphorus, dating back to the 17th century Ciragan Palace Kempinski, special for awareness #CiraganPalaceBecomesPink ve #BreastHealthInMyHands under the headings, MEMEDERIt carries out meaningful activities throughout October to support and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis.

Çırağan Palace Turns Pink Throughout October

Çırağan Palace's historic facade overlooking the Bosphorus and its famous gates are illuminated with pink lights throughout October. Çırağan Palace employees support awareness by wearing pink ribbons on their uniform lapels throughout the month. The MEMEDER management team also organizes awareness training for hotel staff. Guests staying at the hotel can contribute to MEMEDER by adding an optional donation to their bill throughout the month. Informational materials about the importance of early diagnosis of breast cancer are available in common areas and restaurants. Pink flower arrangements greet guests at various locations throughout the palace.

Awareness with Sweet Touches

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul also makes you feel the awareness with sweet touches. A giant pink chocolate model of Çırağan Palace, prepared by the chefs of the palace patisserie, greets guests in the lobby. In addition, the proceeds of all products sold in the “Fit Flavors” category, which includes pink ruby ​​madeleine chocolates in the shape of the Çırağan Palace and the Historical Gate, as well as sugar-free flavors, offered on the hotel’s online shopping site, Çırağan Palace Shop, are donated to MEMEDER at the end of the month. At the Gazebo Restaurant There are awareness-raising information cards on all tables, Throughout the month, pink baklava is served with tea, and pink madeleine chocolates depicting the Çırağan Palace silhouette are served with coffee. 

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul General Manager and Kempinski Residences Turkey Regional Director Ralph RadtkeCommenting on this year's collaboration, MEMEDER said, "This project, which we've been carrying out with MEMEDER for 11 years, is incredibly valuable to us every October, raising public awareness and reminding us of the importance of early diagnosis. Our collaboration serves our purpose of raising awareness not only to our hotel guests from around the world, but to the entire community. We are proud to support this meaningful project alongside our guests and staff, under the rosy lights of Çırağan Palace."

MEMEDER Founder, Honorary President and Senologic International Society President Prof. Dr. Vahit Özmen Prof. Dr. Özmen emphasized that breast cancer, the most common cancer in women both in Türkiye and globally, is preventable and treatable through early diagnosis. Emphasizing the vital importance of raising women's awareness on this issue, Prof. Dr. Özmen commented on the collaboration: “While breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, it is a preventable and treatable disease. Therefore, women need to be more aware of the importance of early diagnosis. Our long-standing collaboration with Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul offers us extraordinary opportunities to reach more women and raise awareness. Thanks to the palace's pink lights, organized activities, and informative campaigns, we are making a significant impact on society. I thank the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul management for these valuable contributions.”

Leman Otru, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEMEDER "Over the course of our valuable 11-year collaboration, the Breast Cancer awareness events we've organized with Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul have allowed us to reach more women each year and raise public awareness of this important issue. Our shared journey has not only resulted in organizing events, but also left a lasting impact on society, taking a significant step forward in raising awareness of women's health. The Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul management and all its employees have made significant contributions to this process. I thank them for their support in this long-term partnership. Together, we will continue our efforts to touch the lives of many more women and further raise public awareness of breast cancer."

Source: HORECA Trend and Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

One of the world's largest food and beverage companies PepsiCocontinues its work with different projects within the scope of Positive Agriculture, one of the three most important topics of the end-to-end sustainability transformation strategy PepsiCo Positive (pep+).

In this regard, the PepsiCo Foundation support and CARE The "Women Feeding the World" project, implemented in Türkiye in collaboration with Turkey, has been providing support to farmers and producers in Adana for nearly two years.

A total of 450 women farmers and producers received grants as part of the project. Thousands of farmers and producers benefited from the project through training in sustainable agriculture techniques, digital marketing, and communication techniques.

The number of women supported in the project exceeded 12

Stating that the results of the “Women Feeding the World Project” are promising for a sustainable future, PepsiCo Türkiye General Manager Ergun Gunay"At PepsiCo, we believe in the need to create resilient agricultural ecosystems to support the creation of a sustainable value chain from farm to table. With this awareness, we are conducting numerous internal studies and collaborating with expert organizations to increase our impact. With this understanding, we have reached more than 12,000 women in nearly two years through the "Women Feeding the World Project," which we implemented with the support of the PepsiCo Foundation and in collaboration with CARE Turkey, supporting the social and economic development of the region following the earthquake. As a company that supports women in all areas of life, we have had the opportunity to closely observe the contribution of women in agriculture, especially in small-scale production, through projects we have implemented in Türkiye and various countries around the world. We have always believed in collaboration and the high synergy brought by stakeholder participation. In this project, we have made significant progress in collaboration with the Adana Governorship, the Yüreğir and Ceyhan District Governorships, the Adana Provincial and District Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry, the Adana Metropolitan Municipality, and the Yüreğir Municipality, in addition to CARE. This project, in particular, has been a significant step forward in this regard. "With the support of the Meryem Women's Cooperative in the first half of the year, the Women Feeding the World Project has gained significant momentum. I hope that this project, which supports the creation of a more resilient food system by increasing women's access to land, will inspire everyone to a better future and a sustainable life," she said.

Women produced on 3 different demo farms

As part of the project, CARE launched its first demo farm in the Ceyhan district in October 2024, focusing on broccoli and potato cultivation with a group of 26 women farmers. In January 2025, CARE launched its second demo farm in the Yüreğir district, focusing on potato cultivation on an approximately 18-acre site, with 86 women producers. Yüreğir Municipality also supported this demo farm, established in partnership with the Meryem Women's Cooperative. At the end of February, a third demo farm, focusing on corn cultivation, was established in Ceyhan with 57 women farmers. To date, a total of 169 women have produced on three different demo farms.

Free organic fertilizer was distributed to more than 4 farmers

The project also implemented numerous collaborative infrastructure improvements. The first of these initiatives, the upgrade of the composting facility in Yüreğir, has been successfully completed and is now operating at full capacity. Supported by the Yüreğir Municipality, this facility has played a critical role in strengthening sustainable agricultural practices in the region by providing free fertilizer to local farmers. Furthermore, the electrical infrastructure upgrade at the Yüreğir composting facility has now been upgraded, making it more equipped to serve farmers effectively. Organic fertilizer produced from waste fruit and vegetables collected from the market has been distributed free of charge to more than 4.300 farmers to date.

Mobile Seed Bus is ready to hit the road

Final preparations are underway for the Mobile Seed Bus project, a secondary initiative of Women Feeding the World. Once operational, the Mobile Seed Bus will serve as a mobile resource center that promotes the use of heirloom seeds, enhances biodiversity, and provides educational support, particularly for women farmers with limited mobility.

Men in the kitchen for nutritious meals

As a secondary objective of the project, numerous initiatives were undertaken to increase access to and consumption of nutritious foods in households and communities. The initiative, carried out by Community Health Volunteers (TSG) in the Yüreğir and Ceyhan districts of Adana to raise nutrition awareness, aims to reach 5,000 farmers directly and 25,000 people, including their families. As part of this initiative, the distribution of nutrition information, education, and communication materials was carried out with the support of the Yüreğir Municipality. Approximately 4,000 people were reached through this activity. The "Men in the Kitchen" program, part of the same organization, featured men enjoying themselves in the kitchen, learning recipes, and preparing meals for their families, all while promoting positive changes in social norms. The event, held in the Yüreğir Municipality's professional kitchen, featured a chef and nutritionist who guided participants in preparing meals and serving them to their wives. A short informational session on healthy eating was also held as part of CARE's global Farmer Field and Business School training package.

The program has been implemented in eight countries to date.

The PepsiCo Foundation has been partnering with CARE, an organization fighting global poverty, on the Women Feeding the World program since 2018, and Türkiye is the program's eighth implementing country.

The "Women Feeding the World" project, carried out in Adana, one of the provinces affected by the earthquake, aims to create a safe food network in rural areas by supporting small-scale women farmers and producers.

Source: HORECA Trend and Pepsico