October is national breast cancer awareness month. This month is especially important to the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, which adopted the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast  Cancer Foundation as its national philanthropy in 1992. The Susan G. Komen Foundation was founded in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker. Her sister died of breast cancer and Brinker promised her that she would do whatever she could to make breast cancer disappear forever. The foundation’s platform is to offer support and hope to everyone touched by breast cancer.

The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sponsors several functions on campus specifically for breast cancer awareness. It will hold a “Think Pink!” luncheon in the spring. It also helped with the Pink Out volleyball game on Tuesday by handing out ribbons to fans. The volleyball team wore pink jerseys donated by IBEW of Arkansas Nuclear One. The jerseys, along with other Tech sports memorabilia, were auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen foundation. Those in attendance were encouraged to wear pink, to have a “Pink Out” in the stands.

Zeta Tau Alpha’s main philanthropic event is sponsoring its own Race for Life to benefit the Komen Foundation. The race will be Oct. 20 on the Tech campus. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. and the actual race will begin at 7:30 a.m. The registration fee is $20 or $15 with a Tech ID. The fee includes a t-shirt and information handouts. There will be prizes given throughout the day as well. The expected number of participants is about 150 runners.

By 2002, 20 years after Susan G. Komen for the Cure began, 1.3 million people participated in more than 100 Susan G. Komen Races for the Cure internationally. Little Rock hosts one of the largest Races for the Cure in the country with more than 42,000 women participating last year.

Zeta Tau Alpha offers the campus many opportunities during the whole year to “Think Pink!” and support the fight against breast cancer.