October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and all around the Dickinson campus people have continued to raise awareness for the cause.

Sigma Lambda Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta sororities have teamed up in an event they are calling “Paint the Campus Pink”.

“[Sigma Lamda Gamma’s] national philanthropy is Breast Cancer Awareness, ” said Lauren Kaye ’14, vice president of Marketing for the Dickinson SLG chapter. “This month our chapter will be involved in a number of different activities around campus including “Paint the Campus Pink” in an effort to raise awareness about those who are at risk, how to detect breast cancer and why it is important to us.”

In past Octobers, the sororities have helped to raise awareness, but this year has been their most influential yet.

“This is the first time we’ve done such a large event on Dickinson… this year, we wanted to raise more awareness,” said Kaye.
Inspired by a quote form the movie Mean Girls, “On Wednesdays, we wear pink,” the Greek organizations at Dickinson will wear pink every Wednesday of this month.

“The color pink in general is used to identify wearers with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for women who have breast cancer,” said Kaye. “[We want] to get as many people as we can to wear pink on Wednesdays.”

In addition, the sororities placed facts and statistics about breast cancer around campus to educate members of the community about cancer rates, prevention and detection. They have also decorated campus with pink ribbons and streamers.

The groups will also be collecting money to donate to the Keep-a-Breast foundation.
this is the first year that the sororities have donated funds to this particular charity, having worked in the past years with the Susan G. Komen Foundation or the National Breast Cancer Foundation.. According to the organization’s website, they are a youth-focused nonprofit that aims to raise breast cancer awareness through art, education, and advocacy. One of the organization’s art initiatives is breast cast exhibits, wherein they display breast cast sculptures that serve as artistic pieces and conversation starters. The foundation will provide breast-casting kits for students to make their own sculptures, which will be placed around campus next week.

Already, “Paint the Campus Pink” and “Pink Wednesdays” have begun to spread around campus. According to Kaye, the sororities have raised just under $300. Their goal is to raise $500 in donations by the end of October.

All funds raised during these events will be sent to Keep-A-Breast Foundation. Stop by downstairs at the bottom of the HUB on Wednesdays to make a donation or learn more about breast cancer.