This month, local Zeta Tau Alpha chapters have really taken this message to heart with an impressive agenda of service projects to support their national philanthropy, breast cancer education and awareness.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and both collegiate and alumnae chapters have been working hard to not only increase breast cancer awareness, but to raise funds for the ZTA Foundation, which partners with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and other breast cancer organizations.
“Plainly and simply, early detection saves lives,” said ZTA Dayton Alumnae Chapter President Terri FitzHarris. “I believe with knowledge comes power. Zeta utilizes this philosophy through all of its efforts to promote breast cancer awareness on a local, state and national level.”
Football fans may have been surprised to see pink on their favorite players’ helmets this month. As the copyright and trademark holder for the “Think Pink” logo, the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation is partnering with the National Football League to promote the “Think Pink” games. During the month of October, professional football players, as well as coaches, officials and team executives, will all sport “Think Pink” ribbons, and fans will receive pink rally towels during Sunday and Monday “Games of the Week.”
On Oct. 25, Zeta collegiate and alumnae chapters from the University of Dayton, Wright State University and Miami University will be at the Bengals stadium in Cincinnati to hand out pink ribbons and pink calendar stickers to serve as reminders for monthly breast exams and yearly mammograms.
As a whole, ZTA has distributed more than 20 million pink ribbons and shower cards, and this October, they are distributing ribbons at 22 NFL stadiums.
“I personally find this to be a significant educational event, as we are able to reach a large and broader audience (i.e. men) at NFL games,” said FitzHarris. “This will help men to become more educated about breast cancer and how to support the women in their lives (wives, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and nieces). We also still continue to promote breast cancer awareness to women of all ages at this event.”
Zeta Tau Alpha is also partnering with Yoplait, which will donate five cents to the ZTA Foundation for every yogurt lid (up to 300,000) collected by Zeta chapters in the United States as a part of the “Save Lids, Save Lives” campaign. Last year, ZTA collected 311,000 lids for Yoplait, a total of $15,000 to the ZTA Foundation’s Think Pink campaign.
The Iota Pi chapter of the University of Dayton recently hosted its annual “Freefahl” concert event at UD, which featured the band Blessid Union of Souls, raffles and a yogurt-eating contest that will contribute to the Yoplait campaign.
Wright State University’s collegiate chapter, Eta Pi, also has a variety of breast cancer awareness events in store for their “Think Pink! Week,” which runs today through Oct. 25. They will begin by participating with the Dayton Alumnae Chapter in the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” today at Fifth Third Field. Eta Pi also plans to host a yogurt-eating contest as well as a “pink” bake sale and “Kiss Away Cancer” kissing booth on the WSU campus. The week will conclude with their sixth annual “Strikes Against Breast Cancer” outing Oct. 25 at Beaver-Vu Bowling Lanes in Beavercreek, during which they are hoping to raise $3,000 to go towards breast cancer.
Breast cancer is not the only cause to which ZTA has dedicated its time. In particular, ZTA’s commitment to local service projects has also benefited organizations and programs such as Kettering Relay for Life, House of Bread, Clothes That Work, Epiphany Lutheran Church Food Bank, Catholic Social Services of Miami Valley, Holiday Adopt a Family, the Spring Valley Academy, Miami Valley Literacy Society and the Ronald McDonald House.
“I’m just one out of 40 active members of the Dayton Alumnae Chapter,” Sabbagh said. “But when you add that number to the more than 300 active collegians we support, you get a net of philanthropic activity that spreads across the Miami Valley.”
ZTA became the first national sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure’s National Series Survivor Recognition Program in 1992. Last year alone, Zeta Tau Alpha raised more than $1.5 million nationally for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and other breast cancer organizations.
“We’re there to help raise funds and awareness, and as a national organization, to use those funds to recognize those who battle this disease, as well as those who have lost the fight,” said Sabbagh. “Collectively, we’ve united as women to fight for ourselves, our friends and our families.”
For information about Zeta Tau Alpha’s service projects and activities, visit their Breast Cancer Awareness Month site by following this link: bit.ly/3BdJ4D
Contact Lauren Perl at (937) 225-9366 or lperl @DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author