National Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes place during the whole month of October. The idea behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to do just that, raise awareness throughout the whole month. The University of Indianapolis contributes by hosting its own campaign, Pink Week.
Students walking through the Schwitzer Student Center during lunch hours have seen tables set up with Pink Week information. The United Methodist Student Association decided to sell chocolate covered pretzels to raise money for breast cancer research and support efforts. Freshman public health major Shayna Ritchie sold pretzels with UMSA on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“UMSA is involved in a lot of different service projects,” Ritchie said. “Like last week we were at a soup kitchen. So UMSA is very involved in activities that have to do with charity or anything that has to do with raising awareness for causes.”
UMSA was not the only Registered Student Organization raising money for breast cancer research during Pink Week.
The Student Nurse Association also helped raise money by selling ice cream sundaes. According to senior nursing major Elizabeth Lott, the organization not only sold ice cream sundaes, it also distributed information on breast self-examinations and the importance of getting mammograms.
“When you’re younger, you don’t think about it [a mammogram], but— the professors that walk through here and the faculty— we hand them out just to be preventive…” Lott said.
Besides the tables, some RSOs also held special events for Pink Week.
The Psychology Club hosted an event on Oct. 6, in Schwitzer Room 012. Executive Director of Pink Ribbon Connection Dori Sparks-Unsworth came to explain the purpose of and volunteer opportunities at Pink Ribbon Connection. According to Pink Ribbon Connection’s website, the organization is an “Indianapolis-based, grassroots not-for-profit whose staff and volunteers provide breast cancer survivors with one-on-one per counseling, as well as offering emotional support and resources to anyone touched by breast cancer.”
Freshman psychology and pre-occupational therapy major Kristen Dyson came to the event because it was a part of Pink Week.
“I think it’s really important that people are aware with what’s going on in the community with breast cancer and other types of cancer,” Dyson said.
Although Dyson came into the event knowing nothing about Pink Ribbon Connection, she left with a better idea.
“I think that it is really cool that they are a non-profit, and they can provide things to women like emotional support,” Dyson said. “They really care because they can connect to them with other people who know what they’re going through.”
Pink Week ended with a Charity Ball on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Artsgarden in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets were $5 per person, and all the proceeds went to Pink Ribbon Connection.
