ZTA hosts Pink Week to raise awareness for breast cancer

Sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha host the Pink Party in Mobile Plaza. ZTA hosted the event in conjunction with the UNA-themed November First Friday. The sorority gave out pink lemonade and other items to people at the event.

The Eta Rho chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha recently hosted its fourth annual Pink Week Oct. 31-Nov. 4.

Pink Week, established on campus by the chapter in 2007, is held every year to help educate and raise awareness about breast cancer, which is the sorority’s national philanthropy.

“Pink Week is good because it helps raise awareness about breast cancer,” said Jill Glover, a sister of Zeta.

“One in eight women are affected by breast cancer over the course of their life, and our main goal is to educate people and raise awareness to encourage women to try to catch it early,” she said. “It’s preventable if caught early, and women need to be aware of that.”

The sorority partnered with downtown Florence’s First Fridays to host their Pink Party at Mobile Plaza Friday, Nov. 4. Moon Dance, a native Alabama band, performed, and the ZTA sisters sold T-shirts and pink bows to students and members of the community.

“One of the biggest things about Pink Week is bringing the community in with the campus,” said Jennie Sun, president of ZTA at UNA. “We really just want to make everyone in the Florence community aware of this cause. And that’s really what it all comes down to-awareness.”

Fraternity brothers at UNA participated in Pink Week by decorating their houses and competing in the yogurt eating contest at the Pink Party. There was also a chain link competition among the fraternities, where brothers purchased chain links from the sorority all week long.

The brothers of Alpha Tau Omega won the overall Pink Week competition, in addition to having the most links for the chain link competition, while Kappa Sigma took home first place in the yogurt eating contest.

In addition to the Pink Party, the chapter sold Hershey’s Kisses and handed out pink lemonade, key chains and other pink paraphernalia to students on campus. The sisters also distributed pink doughnuts to faculty and staff members Friday, Nov. 4.