ZTA sends members to support national philanthropy event

While many students were making breakfast plans or still deep in Saturday morning slumber, 45 members of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority were preparing to do their part in the fight against breast cancer.\nZTA members joined hundreds of Bloomington residents and other IU students Saturday during the eighth annual Bloomington Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.\n"Since it's our national philanthropy, we wanted to support the residents of Bloomington by participating in the walk," said ZTA philanthropy chair Mary Beth Kraft.\nThe mile-long trek commenced at City Hall with a short program that honored breast cancer survivors. The swarm of walkers, donning T-shirts adorned with pink breast cancer awareness ribbons, clapped for each survivor, who, sometimes through tears but always with pride, informed the crowd how long they have been cancer-free.\n"As soon as those women got up there the crowd hushed," Kraft said. "You could tell everybody was really moved."\nKraft said seeing the breast cancer survivors first-hand "hit home for a lot of girls."\n"We realize and we've seen how breast cancer personally can affect women," Kraft said.\nIn addition to walking, ZTA members set up a booth at which members passed out self breast exam pamphlets and pink awareness ribbons. They also accepted donations for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.\nThe sorority's participation in this event foreshadows its primary annual philanthropic endeavor, Big Man On Campus, which will be Oct. 14 at the IU Auditorium.\nThis year, the theme for BMOC is "Hollywood: Lights, Camera, Action! Against Breast Cancer." The all-male talent show, which raised a record $72,000 last year, will include representatives from 20 different fraternities this year, according to ZTA's Web site.\nKraft said practices have already begun for talent show participants and T-shirts and tickets for the event are currently being sold. \n"It's in full force right now," she said.\nStudents can purchase a T-shirt and a ticket for the event together for $20. Tickets alone are $12 and T-shirts are $10.\nThis year, the T-shirts are black and feature a film strip inscribed with the event's theme name. Kraft said ZTA members will be selling these items in front of the Arboretum and at the Kelley School of Business this week.\nKraft emphasized the importance of ZTA's cause and encourages students to donate money and attend BMOC.\n"What we're working for is an actuality that could affect one of us," she said. "We are proud to help this wonderful cause"