PRETTY IN PINK: Participants of the Making Strides Against Cancer Walk of Boston congregated in Boston as a part of the day’s acti viti es at the Hatch Shell on the Charles.

Boston College’s second annual Pink Week, an event sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) and BC Health Services, consisted of numerous events to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The goal of Pink Week was to raise awareness of the importance of cancer research and to educate the student body about breast cancer.

BC Senior Michelle Stern is the team captain for Boston College Beating Cancer in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. As a member of CAC, which is the collegiate affiliate of the American Cancer Society (ACS), Stern was an integral figure in organizing Pink Week. When asked how students could get involved with cancer awareness, she responded that students “should educate themselves [about cancer] and pass on the information to their family and friends. There are so many resources out there, including Health Services and the Internet.”

Aside from Pink Week, CAC has many other awareness events planned for the rest of the school year. These include the Great American Smoke-Out in November, where information is distributed encouraging students to quit smoking. Also, in the spring, plans are underway for distributing sunscreen samples to raise awareness for skin cancer.

Stern also stated that the ultimate goal for CAC is to have monthly events for different cancers.

Some highlights of Pink Week include “Paint the Campus Pink,” where the Million Dollar Stairs were decorated with pink ribbons and flyers could be seen all over campus with breast cancer facts – such as that one in eight American women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lives.

Later on in the week, free pink lemonade was distributed thanks to BC Dining Services. Lee National Denim Day followed where students were encouraged to wear denim and pink to show support for breast cancer awareness.

T-shirts are also independently being sold for the cause for $7. Last year, 300 were sold. Stern feels that Pink Week has been a success. She affi rms, “People definitely seem to remember it from last year.”

The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, the concluding event of Pink Week, is being held in downtown Boston along the Charles River. According to their website, the event has already raised $1,398,314 online.

Stern’s team expects to donate $2,000. The walk is 5.7 miles and tens of thousands of people are expected to participate; last year 38,000 individuals were involved.

On February 12 and 13, the American Cancer Society and BC are hosting a Relay for Life at the Plex. According to the website, “teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track while listening to live entertainment, munching on donated food, and playing games.” Teams consist of friends, family members, or anyone else.

Raising cancer awareness was also a key facet of the BCFSU football game. To honor Mark Herzlich’s battle against Ewing’s sarcoma, t-shirts were designed with his number, 94, and the words “Beat Cancer.” The shirts are still available for purchase at the bookstore for $20. All profits generated from the shirts will be donated to the ACS for Ewing’s sarcoma research.

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