For the 15th consecutive year, Caribou Coffee is brewing hope in October with its exclusive and expanded line of Amy’s Blend to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure and to honor former Caribou roastmaster Amy Erickson.

In addition to offering Amy’s Blend coffee, tea, and new merchandise, Caribou Coffee is inviting its customers to honor their friends and family who have been touched by breast cancer by submitting a tribute to Amy’s Gardens, scheduled for planting this October at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota; the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago; and online at cariboucoffee.com.

A pioneer within Caribou Coffee, Erickson helped revolutionize the way coffee is tasted and developed at Caribou, contributing to the stringent standards the company still uses today.

“Brewing Amy’s Blend and planting Amy’s Gardens are our way of honoring a friend who left a lasting impression on our company because of her passion for life and dedication to her craft,” says Chad Trewick, senior director of coffee and tea for Caribou and a friend of Erickson’s.

Caribou Coffee created Amy’s Blend in 1995 to help Erickson pay for medical bills while fighting breast cancer. Since her passing, this special blend has raised money for breast cancer research. This year, the company will donate 10 percent of all sales of Amy’s Blend coffee, tea, and merchandise, purchased online or in Caribou retail stores, to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with the goal of raising at least $200,000. Caribou will also donate $1 per bag sold in grocery retailers nationwide, with a goal of donating an additional $38,000 or more.

In October, Caribou Coffee fans can honor a loved one who has been touched by breast cancer by dedicating a pink tulip bulb— Erickson’s favorite flower—to be planted in Amy’s Gardens. Guests at Caribou coffeehouses can dedicate a tulip to their loved ones in the store, and visitors to cariboucoffee.com can submit a tribute to Amy’s Garden online to watch a virtual tulip bloom.

Caribou Coffee will create two commemorative gardens measuring nearly 9,000 square feet in total. Garden dedications and planting events will be hosted in conjunction with Susan G. Komen for the Cure on October 13 at Mall of America and October 26 at Shedd Aquarium.

Amy’s Blend coffee, available online and in Caribou coffeehouses in regular and decaf blends, is inspired by some of Erickson’s favorite coffee beans from Africa and the Americas. These regions are known for their citric, bright flavors. Amy’s Blend combines citrus high notes with a smooth, harmonious silkiness, accented by a hint of melon flavor. This year, Amy’s Blend coffee can also be found on grocery store shelves at more than 22 grocery retailers in 40 states.

Added to the Amy’s Blend offering last year, Amy’s Blend tea is a vibrant caffeine-free red tea from South Africa blended with just the right amount of spicy cardamom and warm cinnamon to create a velvety smooth, soothing, hot tea experience. Amy’s Blend tea is all natural and high in antioxidants. New this year, guests at Caribou coffeehouses can enjoy an Amy’s Tea Latte Fusion, a combination of Amy’s Blend spiced tea and frothy steamed milk.

Amy’s Blend products and merchandise, including scarves, bracelets, cups, and travel mugs, are available in Caribou coffeehouses and online at cariboucoffee.com for a limited time. Ten percent of all sales of these items will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Amy’s Blend coffee is available for $14.99 for a bag of regular blend and $15.99 for a bag for decaf blend; Amy’s tea is available for $7.99 for a tin of 20 sachets.