Pretty in Pink, Tampa style

The Tampa skyline is turning Pink in October, part of a movement to promote breast cancer awareness.

At least 40 prominent buildings, including the Moffitt Cancer Center, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa City Center and Westin Tampa Bay are participating in the pink-out. Commercial Real Estate Women, a business-networking group better known as CREW, is leading the program, called City in Pink. It includes displaying the color pink everywhere from exterior lighting and landscape lights to fountains, flowers, ribbons and banners.

“We are combining our connections in commercial real estate with our passion to support breast cancer awareness,” says Katie Gower, a CREW Tampa Bay Board Member who leads the City in Pink initiative, in a statement. A Business Observer 40 under 40 winner in 2014, Gower is also director of business development at Ed Taylor Construction. “For our first year, we are thrilled to have 40 buildings participating.”

Other buildings going pink, according to the statement, include Le Meridian hotel and Fifth Third Center, where people planted pink flowers and landscaping, in addition to changing the exterior lighting. Amelia Arena is also scheduled to go pink for 10 days.