October is a month full of different events. There is Halloween, Thanksgiving and also Breast Cancer Awareness. McGill prepares for Breast Cancer Awareness through it’s Think Pink club.
Her Campus chatted with the club presidents, Sofie Rootenberg and Andria Kotiadis.
Alexandra Faure for Her Campus McGill: When was McGill Think Pink started?
McGill Think Pink (MTP): McGill Think Pink has been around campus for a while now (15 years in fact). The club initially started out as a group of friends who were all very close, all sharing a passion to help raise awareness and find a cure for breast cancer. Today, we have carried out that vision by having a very close executive team, which we believe is key to great team spirit and lots of fun, while we fight together to create a future without Breast Cancer.
HC McGill: How do you raise awareness on campus?
MTP: One of our biggest goals is being very active on campus, as well as on Facebook and through e-mails, in order to constantly reach out to students and raise lots of awareness about the cause. We hold bake sales around campus every month (usually in Leacock and Bronfman), where we encourage our members to donate some amazing baked goods. During our bake sales, we provide informative flyers about breast health, with important tips to prevent breast cancer. We also sell fun “Think Pink” themed merchandise, including some very cute (and very pink) t-shirts and hats. On Facebook, we will often post interesting things that are currently happening to raise awareness, such as links to articles, pictures, etc. This year, one of our new initiatives is to launch a Think Pink annual magazine, which will highlight our achievements during the year, interesting articles, updates on research, interviews with survivors, and tips and advice that will raise awareness for both the cause and our club.
HC McGill: Are you an independent club or do you work within a larger institution?
MTP: We work within SSMU as a charitable club. Also, we are affiliated with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation by donating 100% of proceeds to their organization and by informing our members about their events
HC McGill: What events have you held already?
MTP: So far this year, we’ve had bake sales, however, our biggest event was on October 6th when we participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure with a McGill Think Pink team. Our team proudly raised over $2,200 and we had lots of fun getting to know each other while showing off our team spirit with our personalized team t-shirts. It was such an incredible experience, and it truly brought our team members even closer together. We already can’t wait for next year’s event and we encourage anybody interested to join our team.
HC McGill: What other events can we look forward to?
MTP: Look out for some more Think Pink bake sales around campus, as well as our magazine which is set to come out towards the end of the winter semester. The magazine will feature articles, interviews, and research updates all written by McGill students. We plan to sell the magazine (by donation to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation) at our bake sales once it is published. Other events can include a Human Pink Ribbon, and collaborations with other student clubs. Also, an event with Her Campus is in the works, so keep your eye on both of our Facebook pages.
HC McGill: How can people join if interested?
MTP: Becoming a member of McGill Think Pink is easy – e-mail us at mcgill.thinkpink@live.ca and we will add your e-mail to our mailing list. Like us on Facebook to receive information and updates about the club, including signup sheets to volunteer at our bake sales and other events. We are currently looking to fill executive positions for our magazine team, so we’re looking for McGill students who are passionate about the cause. Feel free to contact us – we’d love to hear your ideas for the club.