By Ashley Bozewski, Staff Writer
The smell of baked goods tempted the students and faculty in the Duquesne Law lounge last week when the Women’s Law Association hosted its annual Breast Cancer Week Awareness Bake Sale. During the weeklong event, the Women’s Law Association raised money for a local charity by selling apparel and baked goods in the lounge of the Law School. The Women’s Law Association also focused on raising awareness for breast cancer by distributing informational pamphlets to people who just couldn’t quite resist a bright pink cupcake after a long day at the library prepping Evidence outlines. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program at the National Cancer Institute projects that approximately 210,000 patients, both women and men, are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.[1]
Members of the Breast Cancer Awareness Committee, headed by co-chairpersons Lauren Hadburg and Katharine Platt, assumed responsibility for operating the information and sale table as well as advertising the event. All members of the Women’s Law Association were encouraged to procure baked items for the sale. The organization also co-sponsored a networking event with Duquesne’s Law Alumni Association in which donations were accepted to benefit Magee Women’s Hospital Patient Care Fund. The Magee Women’s Hospital Patient Care Fund provides assistance to patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The money will be used to supplement patients’ prescription costs not covered by insurance as well transportation costs for patients who must travel long distances for treatment at Magee Women’s Hospital. The Patient Care Fund also provides financial assistance for the purchase of wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Donations will also be made to Magee’s Women’s Research Institute.
In addition to its traditional events, this year, the Women’s Law Association will help host Nancy Davidson, a world-renowned breast cancer specialist from the UPMC Cancer Center on November 15th in conjunction with several other graduate student organizations. Ms. Hartman will present information to students about female related health concerns such as ovarian and cervical cancer in addition to breast cancer.
While the exact amount of the proceeds of the fundraising event has not yet been tallied, members of the organization are confident that the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Week events were a great success.
[1] http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/results_single/sect_01_table.01.pdf. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2007. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program at the National Cancer Institute
