Written By: Lia Armistead

Organizations across campus strive to ‘Save The Ta-Tas’

One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, making the disease the second leading cause of death among women in the U.S., According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

VSU organizations do many things each year in October to help make people more aware of this disease.

The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority is one such group.

“We feel that our philanthropy affects so many women, and many of our sisters have been personally affected by breast cancer,” Zeta Tau Alpha member Isabella Lugo said.

At the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Zeta changed the color of the Front Lawn fountain to pink.

On the first of October, the sorority held a bake sale at their philanthropy table on the Pedestrian Mall, encouraging students to write the names of those suffering or those who have suffered from breast cancer on a pink ribbon.

Each ribbon was pinned to a banner that was held up at the Oct. 11 Blazer football game against West Georgia, saying “Who Do You Think Pink For?”

The game against West Georgia was a pink-out game, where students were encouraged to “Think Pink” and wear as much pink as possible.

Men are also getting in on the breast cancer awareness action.

The Real Men Wear Pink event, sponsored by the Collegiate Men of VSU, was held Oct. 8.

Big Man on Campus, a male beauty pageant, was held Oct. 9.

The 15 participants in Big Man on Campus competed in the competition wearing pink ribbons attached to their shirts or even painting big pink ribbons on to their bodies to show off while walking down the runway.

“I think it’s so funny and so different to see guys up on stage in a pageant,” senior Hannah Poff said. “But what makes it even better is that they’re doing it for a good cause and raising money for breast cancer organizations each year.”

According to Lugo, the Big Man on Campus event raised over $9,000 in donations for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Women of Diversity organization hosted an event called Kicking Breast Cancer Away, which was a kick ball tournament to raise funds and awareness.

“There’s so many of us, and the campus is so diverse, so it’s really important to have these events so we reach a broad spectrum of people,” said Mercedes Harbert, a VSU student who works with Women of Diversity.

The organization also hosted an event with the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and the Zeta Phi Beta sorority where participants donated bras and played bra pong in order raise breast cancer awareness.

VSU isn’t the only local institution working to bring attention to breast cancer. South Georgia Medical Center is trying to ensure all women are annually checking for signs of breast cancer.

SGMC is hosting a free breast cancer screening Oct. 23 in the cancer center after a successful screening day on Oct. 9.

According to Angela Royal, a cancer nurse at SGMC, participants have to be at least 40 years old and have not had a mammogram in the last year.

Those with lesser income are sent to The Breast Test and More program, which is state funded and run by the Health Department and provides free mammograms.

Other women who go through SGMC for screenings will receive a free mammogram also if there are any abnormalities discovered.

The next day of free screenings will be held Oct. 23 at Health Care South in Valdosta. Prior to the screenings, participants should call 229-433-1074 to register.