March 3, 2011 - 4:39pm
'U' student groups promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month
BY ALYSSA ADLER
Since the beginning of the month, women have been updating their Facebook pages with statuses like, “I like it on the floor” and “I like it on the kitchen counter.” These purposefully suggestive statuses actually indicate where these women prefer to place their purses and are part of a larger effort to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Sara Eidelman, one of the chairs for “Go Blue, Think Pink" — a fundraiser to raise breast cancer awareness — said at first she didn't realize what the statuses meant, but that this misunderstanding is what sparked people's interest in the cause.
“I think the importance of (the status updates) is that women from all over got together and raised awareness for breast cancer," Eidelman said. "It got people’s attention, whether it was me, or a group of guys, it got people’s attention, and that was the goal.”
Eidelman said for the past four years, her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, has been collaborating with the fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu to participate in the month-long campaign called “Go Blue, Think Pink,” which raises money for the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation.
This year, a portion of the proceeds are being donated to Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., a charitable organization started by School of Art & Design sophomore Carly Abramson, a member of Sigma Delta Tau, to promote breast cancer research.
“This year, we had a guy dress up as Sparty, and if you gave a donation, you could spank him," Eidelman said. "It was right before the Michigan-Michigan State game, so that went over pretty well."
The campaign has thus far raised $30,000 through “Go Blue, Wear Pink” t-shirt sales, and donations from students, parents and faculty. Eidelman said the fundraiser isn’t simply a way to raise money, but also to raise awareness. Pink cupcakes were given away on the Diag recently, in addition to the popular dunk contest, in which passersby could soak members of the Go Blue, Think Pink campaign.
“The most rewarding thing, for me, is that people have come up to me and told me how they have personally been affected by breast cancer," Eidelman said. " ... It’s important that people understand how common it is. It could happen to any woman.”
The University’s chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority also dedicated the month of October to raising breast cancer awareness. The sorority’s programs are open to the entire student body and are developed to create a sense of community on campus.
Asari Offiong, program chair for the sorority’s breast cancer awareness campaign, said the highlighted breast cancer awareness program this year is a shoe auction called “A Pretty Check Up,” for which all proceeds go toward the University’s Cancer Center.
“Every girl loves a breathtaking pair of shoes, so we decided to use that as an avenue to discuss such a prevailing issue for women, especially minority women,” Offiong said. “Our main goal is to educate and interact with our campus community on a fun and interesting level. We want the audience to walk away with empty pockets, and ultimately, the motivation to go beyond our campus and educate other women in their everyday lives.”
Many other campus groups and organizations have also been similarly honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
During the Oct. 16 football game against the University of Iowa, the Michigan football team sported pink armbands in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fans in the student section also wore pink t-shirts, forming a pink block ‘M.'
