A large, pink truck pulled up to CU’s snowy UMC fountain Tuesday for the Komen On the Go Tour as part of breast cancer awareness month.
“They pulled up with the trailer. It just kind of unfolded, and all this great stuff just popped out of it,” said Erin Frazier, community liaison for CU.
Each October, CU’s campus community comes together to help raise awareness about breast cancer through programs and events. The Komen On the Go Tour is new to CU’s breast cancer awareness month.
The tour began in 2004 when the bus visited 10 college and university campuses. This year, the tour has expanded to over 35 stops with a new stop at CU.
Highlights of the tour include interactive computer stations, graffiti walls to sign and prize giveaways.
On Tuesday, pink trailer visitors received Ann Taylor breast cancer T-shirts and an entry form for grand-prize giveaways.
According to Courtney Collins, Komen On the Go Tour associate, the tour targets younger women and tries to reach out to them. CU was a recommended stop by the Denver affiliate because of the large student demographics the campus has.
“Walks like The Race for the Cure raise awareness, but this is more of an educational event,” Collins said.
CU decided to sponsor the tour on campus because of the educational and interactive aspects.
“This event is specifically designed for college students,” Frazier said. “It is a really great hands-on event. A lot of events this month have been more of just picking up a leaflet, but this one is much more interactive. It’s fun.”
The event also focuses on the co-survivor.
“The co-survivor program helps family members cope with the diagnosis of someone they love,” Collins said.
Co-surviving is a very relevant issue for many CU students.
“My grandma died of breast cancer, so that’s why I came out here today. I think it’s really cool that they set up here,” said Stephanie Gallo, a senior communication major.
“A lot of women in my family have had breast cancer,” said Lea Bernstein, a senior psychology major. “It’s very important for me to be here today.”
