Students, faculty and staff showed off their pink
spirit in support of the fourth annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day on campus. Staff
in the
You name it, Durham College had it, in pink! Pink rubber duckies, pink hot chocolate, pink geraniums, pink manicures and more could be found around campus.
The fourth annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day on March 19 raised $12,000 in support of breast cancer research, completely demolishing previous years' totals.
"There's a lot of energy here," said Liesje de Burger. "It's a fun day on campus with a good cause. The big thing is raising awareness and then raising funds."
De Burger, a writing specialist with Durham College's Learner Support Centre, spearheaded the awareness day, which was filled with baked goods and trinket sales, raffles, information booths and campus-wide contests.
Several departments participated in the Power of Pink challenge, where they competed to raise the most funds, have the most creative vessel for collecting funds and provide the best education on breast cancer awareness. Pink decorations, flowers and bras covered the campus walls.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females worldwide and is the leading cancer for Canadian women, with 22,000 new diagnoses each year, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Breast cancer is not just limited to females. Males share many of the same risk factors, signs and symptoms and treatment options.
"Breast cancer is a human issue, not a gender issue," said de Burger. Male and female self-examination guides were distributed throughout the campus.
The Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre was home to a three-day Think Pink event in the main hallway. Free breast cancer awareness booklets containing facts, prevention and treatment were available. Passersby had an opportunity to feel for lumps in a life-sized fake breast and doctors were on site to encourage male and female students and staff to sign up for breast examinations.
The annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Durham College began four years ago, with an option for staff and faculty to pay to dress in casual pink clothing for one day. They raised $325. The campaign has exploded since then, with the campus raising $4,530 in 2007.