Think Pink club fights breast cancer
St. Joe’s Think Pink club aims to raise more than $3,000 during its annual fundraising campaign, Think Pink Week, held in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
From Oct. 21 to Oct. 26, club members are selling hats, T-shirts, baked goods and raffle baskets in various locations around campus, including Campion Student Center, Francis A. Drexel Library and Mandeville Hall.
All proceeds go to Helen’s Angels, a local non-profit foundation that works to support people and families in the Greater Philadelphia area who have been affected by breast cancer.
“Another mission of ours is to make the SJU community aware of the effects of breast cancer and to let them know that we can make a difference,” said Kaci Gallagher ’20, Think Pink vice president.
For many of Think Pink’s members, the cause is personal.
“I joined Think Pink because one of the closest people in my life suffered from breast cancer and fought a hard battle,” Gallagher said. “Her name was Andrea Ferry. She was like a second mom to me. She fought a long battle with breast cancer but ended up passing away from ovarian cancer about a year ago. I want to wake up one day and live in a world where no one has to hear the words ‘you have cancer.’”
Think Pink President Maddi Quinn ’19 said last year the group raised just under $2,000 during Think Pink Week.
They increased that goal to $3,000 this year despite cuts to campus organization budgets. The group received about $500 less in their annual budget this year, Quinn said, so club members have to get creative.
“We are using a lot of supplies from last year,” Quinn said. “We are having people donate and make signs and stuff.”
In spite of the budget cuts, the club has been busy. They hosted a launch party for Kendra Scott jewelry on Sept. 30, with 20 percent of food, drink and jewelry sales benefitting Helen’s Angels. Kendra Scott will also be joining the Think Pink tables during Think Pink Week.
The group also hosted fundraisers at Chipotle, Snap Pizza and Couch Tomato earlier in the month.
Upcoming events include fundraisers at Panera Bread from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 24 and at Bayou Bar & Grill from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 26.
The club also hopes to team up with other campus organizations, Quinn said. Some of those organizations, like the Alpha Epsilon Delta, the National Health Preprofessional Honor Society, have already reached out to explore collaborations.
Those connections will help the Think Pink members achieve their goal of spreading breast cancer awareness.
“I hope we get a wider following and more student involvement,” said Nicole O’Connell ’19, Think Pink treasurer.
