This October, Robert Morris University’s Zeta Tau Alpha sorority teamed up with a multitude of organizations to raise awareness and money for breast cancer on and off campus.

With Zeta Tau Alpha’s national philanthropy being breast cancer education and awareness, the sorority decided to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by painting the campus pink with balloons, streamers and fliers. On Oct. 12, ZTA held their annual 12 Hours of Pink event which included “Kiss Away Cancer” where Hershey’s kisses were given out along with pink ribbons, “Pie a Zeta,” a bake sale, and the filling out of memory and honor ribbons that led up to the glow in the dark pink 5K later that night.

This year ZTA’s 12 Hours of Pink raised slightly over $500.

“We set goals for ourselves every year,” said Megan Ruth, junior Zeta Tau Alpha member. “Last year we got $8,000 by the end of the semester to donate,”

ZTA’s goal is to raise $18,000 every two years to keep within major donor status.

“We’re a small school and the fact we’ve been able to achieve that major donor status, which happens for all the big schools too, is really huge,” said Ruth.

The money raised by ZTA is donated back to the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation then dispersed to all of their partner organizations.

One of the organizations partnered with ZTA is Bright Pink, the only national nonprofit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. Bright Pink collaborated with ZTA and many other RMU sororities to hold educational workshops with women about breast cancer detection and awareness on campus.

ZTA is not held down to only raising awareness on campus. Along with Bright Pink, ZTA also partnered with the NFL and the American Cancer Society to attend the NFL’s “A Crucial Catch” game at Heinz Field on Oct. 9 to pass out pink ribbons to Steelers fans to raise awareness. ZTA members also volunteered in an American Cancer Society, “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk on Oct. 15.

“We have a little bit of a schedule but it’s also flexible where we can come up with new events,” said Ruth about upcoming events ZTA plan to put in play.

Further to come this October, ZTA is looking forward to RMU’s pink out football game on Oct. 29.

“We put on a lot of smaller events but the pink out game always seems to bring out a lot for us,” said Ruth.

RMU students are encouraged to get involved and show their support and awareness for breast cancer at Joe Walton Stadium that night.

“Everybody knows people that are affected by breast cancer,” said Ruth, whose great aunt is a cancer survivor. “I think that there is a lot of strides being made with cancer research and all that, and I think that kind of everybody just showing support. If everybody knows someone and pitches in in some small way we’re going to get far with it if every person just helps out in a little way.”