Although it was cloudy and bleak, from miles away the sky brightened with several pink balloons floating away in the wind. Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (AKA) and Phi Mu Fraternity dawned their pink for a great cause.
Last Wednesday, AKA and Phi Mu hosted their joint “PreTEA Wednesday” that raised awareness about breast cancer. The organizations informed the student body about the cancer and remembered those affected by the illness by releasing pink balloons covered in special messages.
“It’s an annual event that we are always proud to do,” said Tamara Gorham, an AKA member. The senior speech pathology major felt that the event was important because breast cancer affects a lot of people, both males and females.
Not only does the cancer hurt the individual, friends and family suffer right along with them. It is important to let the students know the warning signs of breast cancer because it’s better to catch it in its early stages.
The event hit home for one of the Phi mu members.
“My mom had breast cancer, so this is something I am very passionate about, “said Taylor Hayes, an Alpha Rho member. Because this illness affected her family, spreading positive vibes and informing others about the cancer made Hayes incredibly happy.
At the end of the event, students gathered with AKA and Phi Mu to release their heartfelt notes into the wind. Many students described this moment as comforting and some felt like their family members and friends affected by the cancer heard their messages.
Not only did they think the event was genuinely nice, they felt that they learned more facts about the cancer at the event than they would have in a classroom setting.
Myesha Williams, an accounting junior, didn’t know that the actual appearance of the breast changed when a lump appears there. Williams didn’t have any family members that was affected by the disease, but she came in support of her friend’s mother who was recently diagnosed.
AKA is required to focus on five targets that help serve mankind, one of them being breast cancer awareness.
AKA and Phi Mu has already hosted several events about breast cancer awareness, independent from their joint event. AKA held a fundraiser with Kappa Sigma Fraternity two weeks ago. And last Tuesday, Phi Mu held “Kiss Away Cancer.”