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The sweet color of pink

Breast cancer awareness and desserts offer two great reasons for MIT students to come together.
Credits:
Photo: Mellisa Thompson
Credits:
Photo: Mellisa Thompson
Credits:
Photo: Mellisa Thompson

MIT’s third annual Pink Dessert event took place Thursday, Oct. 27, in Maseeh Hall. Pink Dessert was started in 2009 when Mellisa Thompson, a Baker House residential life associate (RLA), decided to collaborate with the Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) chapter at MIT to support breast cancer awareness. “Unfortunately, we will all know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime,” Thompson says. “I wanted to find a way to educate the MIT community about breast cancer, while celebrating those who continue to live with this horrible disease.”

Pink Dessert –– held each year in one of the MIT dorms –– helps promote health and wellness on campus in an environment where students feel comfortable discussing issues and sharing their concerns about breast cancer. This year, about 100 students gathered in Maseeh Hall for the event, thanks to the assistance of the dorm’s RLA, Becky Kjaerbye.

Along with helpful information about cancer prevention and early detection, the event also features a variety of pink-colored sweets. Students at the event are informed about other on-campus cancer-fighting initiatives, such as Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that will be held this March. At the Pink Dessert night, more than 60 students signed up to participate in other activities to support the cause.

”Pink Dessert night is one of my favorite events in which CAC is involved,” says Hillary Jenny ’12, president of CAC. “ I love that the event not only educates students about breast cancer and offers information about how they can get involved in the fight against it, but it also allows students to take a break from studying to enjoy some delicious treats.”

The Colleges Against Cancer chapter at MIT is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and works to fight cancer through grassroots advocacy, prevention and early-detection education, Relay For Life, and activities honoring cancer survivors. For more information, visit the Colleges Against Cancer website.

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