Every October, it seems that the world turns a little pink. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pink as its signature color. Countless organizations host events to raise money and awareness throughout the year with concentrated efforts this month, and none more so than the Gamma Pi chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Georgia.

This October marked the second annual fall Pink Week with an array of activities including the Best Chest Contest, a percentage night at the Athens Corn Maze, a field day on Myer’s Quad, BRAcapella featuring Noteworthy and the Accidentals, and various percentage nights at restaurants all over town. In the past year, great efforts have been made to expand fundraising for ZTA’s national philanthropy, Breast Cancer Awareness and Research.  Last spring, the Zetas held the first annual Pink Picnic on their front lawn in addition to Diamond Challenge, a softball tournament held every spring. Then, in the following fall, they held their inaugural Pink Week, and again in the spring with the addition of Shop to Support, a day of deals at participating stores; Diamond Challenge and the benefit dinner. Pink Week has had great response from the community.

“It’s so great, because so many people do breast cancer awareness that we have businesses and restaurants emailing us asking how we can partner together,” said Carly Nash, Philanthropy and Fundraising Chair for the ZTA chapter at UGA.

Through all of these events, ZTA raised $51,000 in the 2009-2010 school year and $53,000 in the last school year. This year they hope to reach a goal of $55,000 said Nash.  All funds raised are donated to the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation, which “is the philanthropic arm of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for women,” said Christy Barber, director of communications for Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for women, and one of the three main efforts of the Foundation is to “organize [their] efforts for the national philanthropy.” The Foundation works with many organizations across the United States to increase awareness and provide support.

They have a partnership with the NFL, and during the month of October, chapters distribute Think Pink ribbons, breast self-examination calendar stickers and shower cards at 26 NFL games across the country. This campaign serves to “raise awareness, particularly early detection in young women: what young women can do to make sure that they are educated about breast health,” said Barber.

They also have a partnership with Yoplait through the Save Lids, Save Lives Campaign where during the month of October for all Yoplait lids turned in, Yoplait donates 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. If the lids are turned in through a member of ZTA, Yoplait will also donate five cents to the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation.  ZTA has also been a sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Survivor Recognition Program since 1992. They provide pink t-shirts and hats for survivors, and alumnae volunteers from ZTA chapters staff the survivor’s tent during the races, said Barber. Much of the money donated is used to produce all of the education and promotional material given out at events in the hopes that one less woman becomes a casually of breast cancer.

“Unfortunately, breast cancer is a disease that affect everyone, be it their mothers or their sisters of their grandmothers or their best friends or themselves one day,” said Nash. Through the incredible work of the ZTA chapter at UGA and at other chapters across the country, women can more readily recognize the early signs of breast cancer and every woman who is diagnosed with this cruel disease has better chance of joining the more than 2.5 million survivors.  The sisters of Zeta Tau Alpha are fighting as Nash explains “to ensure that one day I’m not going to have to worry about it, my daughter’s not going to have to worry about it, and my friends won’t either.”

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