Party in Pink

Kendyl Wade

Georgia College cheerleaders work to pump up the crowd at Bobcat Madness Wednesday night. The event is used to promote fan involvement for the upcoming basketball season. The Sassy Cats Dance Team performed and the basketball players participated in an exhibition. There was also a chance to win $10,000 for making a half-court shot. See next week’s Colonnade for more information on the event.

A sea of pink and white bobbed and weaved rhythmically to the Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style.”

Sixty or so people showed up to the Party in Pink to participate in Zumba classes while raising $160 to fight breast cancer.

The event was organized and hosted by graduate assistant Benicia Bell.

“My job is health promotion, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to do something that would draw people to the gym for a great cause,” Bell said.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer affected about 280,000 women in the U.S. in 2011.

“Breast cancer touches every person’s life, whether directly or indirectly,” Bell said. “Everyone knows someone or knows someone who knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer, so it’s a great way to bring everybody together, socialize and exercise for a great cause.”

Planning for the event took over a month, but it was made easier after Bell checked the official Zumba website.

“What I initially wanted to do was just do a Zumba marathon, because I’d heard of Zumba marathons for charity, but when I researched I found out the actual Zumba company has an international program to host a Zumba marathon for charity,” Bell said.

“From there I just followed the plan they laid out for a marathon.”

The event benefitted the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a foundation that is dedicated to curing breast cancer.

“For students the event was free, but for faculty and nonmembers (of the Wellness and Recreation Center) we were asking for a minimum donation of $5,” Bell said.

“We also had a bake sale and were selling bracelets so people can purchase goods, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen.”

The event was not only run by Bell, but many volunteers that showed up for the event to staff fundraising tables and give more information on breast cancer and treatment. Sophomore marketing major Brooke Zeller was among the volunteers.

“I decided to volunteer here because I love to help out for a good cause, and this problem affects so many women that it needs to be solved,” Zeller said. “My grandparents have both been affected by breast cancer, so this is an important cause for me to donate my time to.”

Many students, including Zeller, helped out at the event by taking donations and handing out raffle tickets to students and nonmembers alike to win items like water bottles and T-shirts. Another volunteer who worked closely with Zeller is senior exercise science major Hilary Lassetter.

“I am volunteering here because it is a fantastic cause, because we are trying to cure something here that affects too many women,” Lassetter said. “While none of my family has been affected by breast cancer, some people at my church have it, which is why I’m out here today.”

For more photos from this story, click here

Posted by Nick Burgess on Oct 18 2012. Filed under Lead stories, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.