Students gathered in front of Old Main with signs and pink shirts, ready to partake in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk held Sunday afternoon. Together, they walked around Eastern’s campus, showing their support for breast cancer awareness.

The walk was hosted by the Iota Phi Theta fraternity as a way to recognize that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dewayne Jones, a senior majoring in digital media technology and graphic design, is a member of Iota Phi Theta. He said the walk was the fraternity’s way of recognizing those who have battled breast cancer.

“We really want to show support to all the people who have survived breast cancer and all the people who passed away from breast cancer, those who did not survive,” Jones said. “We really wanted to come as a family on campus, as a community, to come and show support.”

Ian Davis, a senior exercise science student, is part of Iota Phi Theta. He said that St. Jude, the children’s research hospital that treats childhood cancers and pediatric diseases, is part of the fraternity’s philanthropy.

“We just want to do something for the community [and] the campus just to show that part of our organization,” Davis said.

Davis said that it felt good to see Eastern students partake in the walk.

“It feels good because we are one of the smaller organizations on campus, so it feels good to have that support from all the other organizations that have been here for a while,” Davis said.

Among those in attendance included Eastern students and members of other fraternities and sororities on campus.

Shariah Campbell, a graduate student studying human services program administration, attended the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk to show support for the cause.

“I came out to support the cause for breast cancer awareness because a lot of women in my family have been affected by breast cancer, so I wanted to support the cause,” Campbell said.

Campbell also came to show support as part of Zeta Phi Beta, a sorority that is also raising awareness and raising funds to support the American Cancer Society, a health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer.

“This is also one of our national initiatives that we put on in the month of October, so we work with Making Strides and we raise donations,” Campbell said.

Diana Rogel, a senior Spanish major, attended the walk as a member of Alpha Psi Lambda, the co-ed Latinx fraternity on campus.

She said that she went not only to show support for breast cancer awareness, but also to show support for Iota Phi Theta.

“I feel like we have to be here as Greek life supporting one another, and plus, it’s a great cause to go ahead and let students know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Rogel said. “I think that’s a good way to go ahead and show that on campus.”

Rogel said she was glad to see other students show support to the cause.

“I think it was really nice to see everyone, not just us in Alpha Psi Lambda, but we had a few students and we had other people from other organizations come like the Zetas, so I really think that’s a really good way to show all the unity here on campus,” Rogel said.

Iota Phi Theta has plans for more events in the future to help raise awareness for important issues, such as a donation drive they are planning to work on with another organization on campus, E.L.I.T.E.

“It’s basically a donation when we put old coats and old jackets or anything people don’t wear for those who don’t have the chance to buy coats in the winter time when it’s getting cold outside,” Jones said. “We are really trying to help out and support that. A majority of the clothing will go to either Goodwill or our national philanthropy, which is St. Jude.”

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]