While purple and gold are the dominant colors found on campus, October brings a new color into the mix each year: pink, the color of breast cancer awareness month. The color also serves as a marker for a number of events put on during the month by Zeta Tau Alpha, including Pink Week, a series of fundraising events that climaxes with the annual Pink Party,  held on Oct. 5 during First Fridays in downtown Florence.

The sorority raised more than $10,000 for their philanthropy, said Lauren Copeland, chapter president of ZTA.

“The purpose of Pink Party and Pink Week is to promote breast cancer education and awareness,” said Kristie Barnes, who planned Pink Party. “To engage a larger portion of the Greek community, the fraternities participate in a week-long competition to raise the most money, decorate their house in the most pink and win a yogurt-eating contest. Pink Party is held in a public place because its purpose is to promote breast cancer education and awareness, so the chances of communicating that cause are greatest in a public venue with heavy foot traffic.”

This year’s event was held on Mobile Street, at the center of the First Fridays attractions.

“I think Pink Party is a very good thing, because it raises awareness about breast cancer,” said Samuel Sherril, a freshman in attendance at Pink Party. “My grandmother died from breast cancer so I think it’s important for (people) to be aware. This disease has affected not just me, but several other people in their lives.”

Alex Kelly, ZTA’s philanthropy chair, agrees that the event is helpful because the disease it is fighting is one that affects everyone.

“One in eight women will be diagnosed,” Kelly said. “Here at UNA most of our sisters are affected by it — some have lost moms or aunts.”

ZTA raised approximately $15,000 toward breast cancer education and awareness through Pink Party in 2012, Barnes said.

“Throughout Pink Week, we accept donations, most of which come from fraternity members that are participating in the competition,” Barnes said. “At Pink Party, we also take donations for face painting, bottled water and ‘In Memory Of’ or ‘In Honor Of’ ribbons. Throughout the month of October, sisters collect pink lids from Yoplait yogurt and give local businesses a pink ribbon decal for every $10 donation they give.”

The chapter desires that students would care because of the statistics Kelly cited, that one in eight women will battle breast cancer, Copeland said.

“There are many forms of breast cancer that, through early detection, can be treated,” Copeland said. “So even though we’re students and it seems like we’re fighting something far down the road, we’re fighting for our sisters, best friends, moms and grandmothers.”

Through holding Pink Party and other fundraising events in a public places, the members of ZTA hope they are able to stress the importance of early detection and regular checks to the public. Additionally, the ZTA National organization has a tool called “Take Charge. Think pink.” to help women keep their breast health in check, Copeland said.

“It’s an online tool we will be using to sign women up for monthly reminders,” Copeland said. “With each reminder comes instructions as to how to best conduct a self-exam. It’s been a wonderful tool as it helps women keep their health in check from month to month.”

ZTA will host another large public event later this month, and another one in the spring, Barnes said.

“Saturday, Oct. 19, Zeta Tau Alpha will hold its annual Pink Out Game where we encourage everyone to wear pink to UNA´s home football game,” she said. “There will also be a pink balloon release on the field to recognize those that have and are fighting breast cancer. During the spring semester, we will have our annual Big Man on Campus, which is a male pageant. The money raised from the cost of tickets to attend goes toward breast cancer education and awareness.”

Editor’s Note: Editor-in-Chief Corrine Beckinger is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and did not participate in the reporting or editing of this story.