REALTOR® Mike Daly, C2EX, has changed his style over the years to match his job—Air-Force blues when he was enlisted, suits and ties for his job as a marketing executive at American Airlines and a commercial litigator, and business casual in his current role as real estate professional with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties.
But no wardrobe makes a stronger statement about Daly’s dedication, sense of humor and can-do spirit than the pink he dons head to toe when he volunteers as community advocate fighting breast cancer.
There was the pink tuxedo he wore for a dance contest (he and a partner placed second). Then there were pink sneakers and parachute (pink with black trim) for a skydive and the pink athletic wear for a cycling challenge. All demonstrate Daly’s zeal to educate and fundraise throughout his Glastonbury, Conn., community.
“I’m happy to make a spectacle of myself to make a difference and make it fun for others,” he says.
Over five years, his fund raising and contributions to the cause amount to about $60,000. “My lifetime goal is $100,000 before I retire in another year or two,” he says.
Statistics convey the grim reality of why Daly adopted this cause: One in eight women today will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although men make up less than 1% of the breast cancer diagnoses, many get the diagnosis when it’s too late, he says. “I want to make things better for people whether it’s through cancer advocacy or working in real estate, so their transitions are smoother, easier and more comfortable,” he says.
When Cancer Hit Home
Daly’s own story kick-started his efforts. Eleven years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare form of melanoma. Rather than ask, why me? He asked, why not me? “That question leads to acceptance and opens the door to strength, purpose and grace,” he says.
Three years later, a childhood friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I watched her go through it and learned the statistics. I wanted not just to raise money but to increase awareness and support for more research and funding,” he says.
His marketing chops kicked in. “Seeing a face and hearing a personal story behind the numbers helps get people talking and acting,” he says.
Daly developed a plan when he heard about the American Cancer Society’s Men Wear Pink campaign, which challenges male community leaders to wear pink and raise awareness and funds.
He scoured online sites to acquire an extensive pink wardrobe, even pink underwear. He started his “pink-antics” repertoire to attract attention so others would join in. “It worked,” he says. “Many wondered, ‘Why’s this crazy guy doing this?’”
Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness
During the pandemic, when children couldn’t trick or treat door to door, he decorated his car’s trunk with pink and handed out candy wrapped in pink bags, wearing pink attire and pink face paint. “Seeing kids smile who couldn’t trick or treat helped them forget they were missing out,” he says.
New antics keep coming as his reputation as “the pink guy” spreads. At the annual Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival, he hands out beer and cider, decked out in pink.
He visits college health fairs wearing trademark pink. One goal is to share with students that male breast cancer rates are low when men are young but rise over time. “It’s a challenging exercise since many college students consider it a woman’s problem,” he says.
This year he will take a flying lesson in pink and land the plane… rather than jump out like he did last time. “I’m almost 70,” he says, laughing.
Whenever he’s out spreading the word about breast cancer awareness, Daly posts on social media for extra reach. He also partners with the CT River Valley and Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chambers of Commerce to host fundraisers. “It’s my version of public service announcements,” Daly says.
Planting ‘Seeds of Hope’
Although breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women, Daly sprinkles messages of hope. He knows his efforts make a difference, because people tell him. A man whose wife recently died from metastatic breast cancer “told me she gained time because I encouraged her to get an earlier diagnosis than she might have,” he says.
Erin DiLillo, director of development for the American Cancer Society, has worked with Daly for 3-1/2 years has witnessed the powerful ripple effect of his work. “Mike’s commitment to Men Wear Pink goes far beyond fundraising—it’s personal and heartfelt,” she says. “He leads with authentic compassion. His impact lives in the people he motivates and the seeds of hope he plants all around him.”
Since 2022, mortality rates in the U.S. have continued a long-term decline due to early detection and improved treatments. Daly’s own cancer is in remission. So is his friend’s. And he’s determined to help others navigate the journey successfully.
“Cancer is like a dark cloud that rolls in suddenly, uninvited, casting a long, heavy, frightening shadow across every part of your life. But then something happens,” he says. “You stare it down and find strength you didn’t know you had. Cancer may change your life, but it does not define it.”
