This Thursday, the ladies of Breen-Phillips Hall (BP) are employing the help of an in-demand item on campus to encourage the Notre Dame community to support breast cancer research: fresh berries.
“We wanted to have a 5K that was different from any of the other ones on campus, and berries are a hot commodity at Notre Dame since they often aren’t in the dining halls, so we saw that as a way to draw people in,” Breen-Phillips’ vice president and junior Laura Luchini said.
The 5K run is just one of many events BP is hosting for their inaugural Think Pink Week, which will fundraise for Harper Cancer Research Institute. The race is set to take place Thursday at 5 p.m. at Fieldhouse Mall, where PacSun apparel, berries and other free food will be available for registered race participants.
“We knew that there were other 5Ks going on around that week, so we wanted to stand out,” Luchini said.“We noticed that there isn’t any kind of breast cancer awareness week at Notre Dame like there is at most other colleges. ... With all of the cancer research happening on campus at Harper Research Institute, and with Breen-Phillips’ color being pink, we thought it was more than fitting that we start this new week.”
The week kicked off on Monday with “Kiss Away Cancer,” where students and faculty were invited to sign banners outside of DeBartolo Hall and North and South Dining Halls and to pick up a ribbon, pink lemonade and Hershey’s Kisses distributed by BP residents.
“This is a cause that is important to me and many other people on campus, so it is amazing to be doing something that can help,” Luchini said.
Tuesday night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Breen-Phillips will host the first of two profit-share fundraisers with Blaze Pizza on Eddy Street, Luchini said, where a portion of sales that evening will be donated to the Harper Cancer Research Institute.
“All of the money that we raise is going to Harper Cancer Research Institute here on campus. Harper does a lot of cutting-edge research right across the street, and yet a lot of people don’t know what it is,” she said.
Luchini said she hopes to raise awareness about this research by hosting a talk given by representatives from the Institute on Wednesday night in DeBartolo Hall.
“The Institute will be giving a talk of the cancer research that’s happening right here on campus and how you can get involved,” Luchini said. “I’m sure we all know of at least one person affected by breast cancer. It is so prevalent, and we thought it was important to remind Notre Dame's campus how important cancer research is in finding a cure.”
The week wraps up with the 5K on Thursday in addition to an all-day profit-share fundraiser with Five Guys on Eddy Street.
“We wanted to plan a fun, informative week for our students. All of the money that we raise is going to Harper Cancer Research Institute here on campus, and we want to raise awareness for Harper and give them the opportunity to tell students how to get involved in research there,” Luchini said.
