Hudson Valley Thinks Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness Month- But Where Does The Money Go?
News Editor
Only one of Hudson Valley’s three on-campus tie-ins to Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) this year directly supports research into treatment and prevention of cancer. The other two merely have nominal affiliations, and say they aim to increase awareness about the disease.
Circle K
Circle K Club held its annual bake sale for BCAM on Oct. 7 on the second floor of the Siek Campus Center. The club offered cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods at prices ranging from $0.50 to $1.00 at a pink-covered table decorated with handwritten signs reading “Breast Cancer Bake Sale” and “Finish the Fight!” Karin Jacobson, an early childhood major operating the cashbox, wore a bright pink scarf and pink-ribbon earrings.
On one end of the table, the club had put a stack of flyers for the Oct. 19 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Albany, which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
Joelle Connor, president of the Circle K Club, wrote in an email, “People like to be rewarded for their donation to charity, and why not have it be a sweet treat? It’s instant gratification.”
The $218 raised from the bake sale will be donated to the American Cancer Society because that is the largest cancer-focused organization. Connor explained, “We volunteer physical man-hours to our local charities and organizations. Breast cancer research is not something our club is equipped to be responsible for, so it’s best we donate to those that can do it.”
According to Charity Navigator, the American Cancer Society spends 59.4 percent of its nearly $1 billion budget on the programs and services it delivers. It spends 34.3 percent of its budget on fundraising.
Viking Cove
On the first floor of the Siek Campus Center, the Viking Cove Bookstore has a front endcap display of pink products for BCAM. This year, the bookstore made their own pink endcap rather than buying one, as they had in 2013.
Tammy Brown, head cashier, explained, “Anything in the store that was pink, we put there.” The merchandise ranges from pastel pink-and-white Tic Tacs to neon pink notebooks to bright pink T-shirts.
Brown said that the store supported breast cancer awareness. She also said that the bookstore does not donate any proceeds from sales of the pink products toward breast cancer awareness or research. “They’re just pink,” she said.
Brown emphasized that the store is a nonprofit and donates money year-round to Hudson Valley.
Chartwells
On Oct. 23, from 2 to 3 p.m., Chartwells will host a BCAM-themed cooking demonstration free of charge in the Naked Pear Café. Chartwells director of dining services John Poole, who is organizing the event, said that Chartwells wanted to be more engaged with the campus community and had decided to start offering cooking demonstrations this year.
Participants in the event can taste samples and take home recipes for dishes like Lemon Herb Wild Salmon and Cinnamon Berry Berry Kale Smoothie, which Poole said were simple, healthy, and quick to prepare at home.
“A healthy mindset would tie in nicely with Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Poole. “Nutrition is very important in helping potentially prevent cancer and helping maintain a sound body.”
Joyce Favicchio, district marketing director for Chartwells, is slated to speak at the event. Favicchio plans to discuss the relationship between lifestyle choices and cancer. She will share and elaborate on six cancer prevention diet tips, stressing that eating a balanced diet and limiting certain foods is important in fighting cancer.