Most people know that Zeta Tau Alpha's philanthropy is breast cancer education and awareness. They see us passing out pink ribbons all year long. But this philanthropy means so much more to us than just passing out ribbons. See, to us, those ribbons represent more than just our sorority. They represent the ones who are battling, the ones who have won the battle, and the ones who have lost it. We have some pretty awesome partnerships that put us on a national platform such as the NFL. But still, this philanthropy means more than football games.

People ask us why we blow up campuses nation wide with pink everything in the month of October. It is not because pink is our favorite color. We do it for our sisters who have battled breast cancer while taking on the stress of college. We do it for our alumni that spent 4 years of their lives raising money for a cancer that they are now survivors of. We do it for all the women and men out there that will one day sit their family down and tell them everything is about to change due to chemo treatment schedules. Most importantly we do it for those who have a hole in their heart due to this cancer taking someone they love.

There is no better feeling than being at an event to pass out these ribbons and to have someone pull me aside and genuinely thank me for what this organization does. There is no better feeling than knowing that we are making a difference in strangers lives and October is when we realize it the most.

October is more than just another month for us. It is a month that is nationally dedicated to a cause that is extremely near and dear to our hearts. Towns sky scrapers have pink lights, fountains are filled with pink water, people put pink in their hair, and yes NFL teams even wear pink. But as we see all of this happening throughout this month, we sit back and think about the reason behind the color pink. So yes we "Think Pink. Think ZTA." but we also think pink and think mothers, daughters, grandmas, aunts, sisters, and friends.

So yes, October is my favorite month but not because I get to wear pink all the time and pass out ribbons at an NFL game or participate in my chapters fundraising events. It is my favorite because through participating in those events, I know that I am helping raise awareness and promote education about a cancer that takes the lives of far too many people.