THINK PINK: DO GOOD WHILE GETTING GOODS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Every three minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. This year, 39,600 women are expected to die from it.

There's no cure, but there's plenty of hope, thanks to all the fund-raising efforts held every October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

There are a plethora of ``pink ribbon'' opportunities ranging from Dreyer's offer to donate to the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations with every consumer purchase of Grand Light ice cream to BMW's promise to donate $10 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for every person who test drives a new car.

For the latter, you have a choice of three dates and places: Oct. 17 at Century West BMW in North Hollywood; Oct. 19 at Center BMW in Sherman Oaks; and Oct. 20 at Bob Smith BMW in Canoga Park. To arrange the test drive, call the dealership or [phone].

Instead of burning rubber, burn calories at the City of Hope's Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer. The event kicks off at 7 a.m. Sunday at the City of Hope campus in Duarte (east of Pasadena). Registration is $25 for adults and $15 for children, T-shirt included. Andrea Evans of NBC's daytime drama ``Passions'' will lead the walk. Call [phone] or see www.walk4hope.org.

If you need more prep time, enter the Oct. 20 American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. You'll need to collect pledges and you can get all the information by calling [phone] or visiting www.cancer.org.

Shopping divas can do their part by buying designer shoes at half-price Oct. 16 on QVC's ninth annual FFANY Shoes on Sale event. The shopping channel will offer 100,000 pairs of shoes with proceeds going to breast cancer charities. Watch the program and call [phone] to order or go to the QVC Web site at www.qvc.com.

For a one-of-a-kind shoe, check out the window display at Stuart Weitzman's Beverly Hills boutique Tuesday through Oct. 31. The shoe designer has asked a number of stars - from Tom Hanks to Samuel L. Jackson to Antonio Banderas - to decorate stiletto pumps to be auctioned for breast cancer research. To place your bid, go to the boutique or www.stuartweitzman.com.

Nordstrom stores are observing the month with an array of in-store health awareness events and special sales. On Oct. 10 the chain store will give away pink bottled water and on Oct. 24 the cosmetic department will hand out pink light bulbs.

Numerous manufacturers have designed special merchandise to benefit research. Among the items are Karen Neuburger pajamas, Wacoal bras, Philosophy's Remember body wash, Swarovski's Pink Hope heart-shaped pin, Bobbi Brown's Rosebud pink lipstick, Paula Dorf's Gilda lipstick, Stila Lip Glaze lipstick and Carolee's ``Charms of Life'' charm bracelet in sterling silver with cultured pearls.

You can also help finance cancer research with a bottle of Perfect Hope perfume and Wrap Star's Cotton Candy Wrap hair accessories, sold at Fred Segal in Santa Monica; the Komen candle, at Pier 1 Imports; a gold-plated ``Time for the Cure'' watch by Relic, at J.C. Penney and Sears; and an awareness pin and CD, at Casual Corner stores.

A luxury combo of Audemars Piguet watch, Estee Lauder compact and Colin Cowie purse will be offered at fund-raising galas as well as at Hing Wa Lee Jewelers in San Gabriel, Westime in Los Angeles and Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.

Estee Lauder's daughter Evelyn Lauder has a new photography book out called ``An Eye for Beauty'' and she's giving all proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. You can meet the author/photographer on Oct. 16 at the Gagosian Gallery, and on Oct. 17 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills and the grand opening ``In the Pink'' gala at Lana Marks at 465 N. Rodeo Drive. Marks is honoring Lauder, and in addition will donate a portion of the proceeds from her signature purses to the foundation.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Billy Crystal applied a New York Yankees theme to a Stuart Weitzman stiletto, one of several shoes made over by male celebrities to benefit breast cancer research.

(2) ``Charms of Life'' bracelet from Carolee

(3) Gold-plated watch from Relic