October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Mercyhurst Chapter of Colleges Against Cancer is observing the occasion by trying to “paint the campus pink.”

Paint the Campus Pink is a weeklong event that will take place from Monday, Oct. 24, to Friday, Oct. 28.

“Throughout the year we host different events, not to make money but to leave an impression on people,” Co-Chair of the Mercyhurst Chapter of Colleges Against Cancer Jennie Politano said. “This year we wanted to find a way to involve the student body more, so since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month we came up with the event Paint the Campus Pink from October 24-28.”

The other Co-Chair of Colleges Against Cancer, Melora Whalen, said, “Trees will be decorated with ribbons (and) pink signs (with) statistics. Essentially the goal is to cover Mercyhurst in pink.”

As part of the effort to turn everything on campus pink, the group will be tie-dyeing shirts in Zurn Park from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

As a way of capping off the week, students are encouraged to wear as much pink as possible on Friday, Oct. 28.
“Committee members will have certain prizes for those who get really into the pink theme,” Politano said.

The Paint the Campus Pink event is also a way to raise money.

A bake sale to raise funds for Mercyhurst’s Relay for Life will be held in the Herrmann Student Union on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

There will be more events like this in the future.

One example is a “Paint The Campus Purple” event that is planned for the spring. All of these events are in preparation for Relay for Life in April.

This year Relay for Life will be a 24-hour walk, and, as always it will help raise funds and spread awareness of cancer.

“I think it is extremely important for everyone to be aware of how much breast cancer affects people across the world,” said Politano. “Most of us have the mind set ‘it won’t happen to me,’ but the truth is if it doesn’t happen to you, it’s going to happen to your siblings or parents.”

If students are interested in getting involved in the cause they can email relay@mercyhurst.edu or attend an informational meeting on Oct. 27, at 8:15 p.m. in Hirt 207.