Staff and faculty members at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology prepare for the seventh-annual Power of Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Day, which took place on March 9. Participants were encouraged to make a donation to pop a booballoon for a chance to win prizes.

March 25, 2011

The Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) campus was awash in shades of pink on March 9, when the annual campus-wide Power of Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Day took place. Now in its seventh year, the Power of Pink is an all-day fundraiser, designed to bring awareness to the disease that affected over 23,000 individuals in 2010 alone.

This year’s event raised a record $26,061.76, beating last year’s total of $22,713.24.

“The purpose of the Power of Pink is to raise awareness of breast cancer to all ages, both female and male on campus, and raise money,” said Suzanne Clark, co-chair, Power of Pink. “We share the funds we raise between the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Gala of Hope’s Heather Griffiths Breast Assessment Centre at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa.”

The event ran from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and featured a number of exciting activities at various locations including Vendor’s Alley, the Marketplace Cafeteria, the H-wing of the Gordon Willey building and the west atrium in the UOIT Science building at the Oshawa campus as well as at the Whitby campus.

Students and staff were treated to a carnival-like fun day with opportunities to participate in games such as Plinko, enter various draws, indulge in treats ranging from bake sale goods to fancy mocktails, purchase T-shirts and Butterfly of Hope merchandise and mingle and chat with colleagues and friends at a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Breast cancer awareness information was also available at event kiosks, office displays and on the Campus Health Centre’s mobile cart.

This year’s Power of Pink event also featured informative seminars led by Cheryl Lewis-Thurab from the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The seminars focused on breast cancer awareness, ongoing research and how the funds raised from the Power of Pink will help make a difference in the search for a cure.

In addition, there was a memory banner that students signed to show their support for those affected by breast cancer.

Among the top fundraising groups were the School of Health & Community Services, which raised $2,602.25 through the sale of pink T-shirts, a Valentine’s Day bake sale and gift basket draws, and The Student Association and Student Centre, which raised $1,535, mostly through the sale of cookies with pink breast cancer ribbon icing.

“This is the third year that The SA and the Student Centre have been involved in the event,” said Donna Judson, office co-ordinator, The Student Association. “The Power of Pink helps raise money for a great cause that affects all our lives.”

To learn more about breast cancer awareness or to donate money, please visit www.cbcf.org.