October is the month where many sports teams drop their traditional colors for pink to support breast cancer. Meet this Jayhawk who proudly wears pink all year long, Jeanne Beaver. Not only is she is a pharmacy student, a wife, and a mother of 5 kids, but she is also this week’s HCKU campus celebrity.
Jeanne has been involved with Kappa Epsilon Mu Chapter through the KU pharmacy school for several years. This organization works with the Health Care Access Organization during October to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Last month the organization sold paper flowers which people could personalize with a name of someone they have lost to breast cancer. The flowers were made into a lei and were hung around the Jayhawk in the lobby of the pharmacy school.
Jeanne has helped out with bake sales, shirt sales, and organizing proactive speakers to raise money and spread awareness. Jeanne was also involved with “Bras Across the Kaw.” Girls were encouraged to donate old bras, which were bedazzled and hung across the bridge down by Mass St.
Jeanne’s motivation for supporting the fight against breast cancer so strongly is her mother. Jeanne’s mother battled breast cancer for 5 years before she passed away. When asked what inspires her, Jeanne said, “My mother and my children. I had a daughter that never even got to meet her because of breast cancer.”
Not only is Jeanne a role model to her children, but she also sets a great example to many girls on campus. She continues to advocate breast cancer screenings and encourages young women to be proactive and get involved with the cause.