Zeta Thinks Pink
Author: Sarah S. Editor: Grace C.
The women of Zeta Tau Alpha were very excited to put on their pink tutus on an October night for their philanthropy event, Pinktoberfest. They hosted the event in the Potbelly’s beer garden with live music, food trucks, various games, and lively conversation. Walking down College Ave. that night, passersby could feel the excitement and most likely wanted to buy a ticket from the table out front, go inside, and join in on the fun.
Pinktoberfest is a recent addition to Zeta’s philanthropy event line up as of four years ago. This tradition is now an annual event that leads up to their big event of the fall semester, Race To Live, which is Zeta Tau Alpha’s 5K run starting at their Chapter Facility, to the stadium, and looping back to Zeta.
Ever since they started Pinktoberfest as a warmup for the 5K, it has been a huge success as it brings the community together to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Their members’ passion is palpable because of how much this cause means to each of them. These women went all out for both of these events, which shows how much women supporting other women means to them.
Maia T., Director of Philanthropy, and her team were all a huge part of making this event come to life. They were able to secure the venue and barbecue food trucks and plan fun activities like corn hole, bra pong, face painting, and target time. In addition to this, survivors and the women of Zeta Tau Alpha who have been directly affected by breast cancer were able to share stories on stage to spread awareness. Maia says that this event was a huge part of their Zeta King competition as the men of various teams, fraternities, and clubs come out to introduce themselves to the chapter women and get to know everyone better.
Each sister in the chapter is very involved within the philanthropy, in any way that they can. Every sister is knowledgeable about where the money they raise goes, what they do, who’s lives they are changing, and why they should spread awareness. These aspects are so important to know as they can go into the community and educate people wanting to learn more. This fosters a better understanding of why it is so important to raise money for their cause.
Many sisters say that getting involved in the chapter through philanthropy helps them grow closer to their sisters, alumni, and family members affected by sharing their testimonies and allowing them to connect to the philanthropy itself.
This year's Pinktoberfest raised a total of $3,000 and the Race to Live raised a total of $116,000. The women of Zeta Tau Alpha describe these two events as some of their best, especially since these events were limited with the pandemic last year. They feel very humbled to know that they will be helping women with breast cancer through the funds they raise. There will one day be a cure.