Gizellede Götz
With pink lips and free cupcakes, Venustia is helping PinkDrive support women diagnosed with breast cancer. Venustia has launched their ‘Pink Lip’ and ‘Donate and get a free cupcake’ initiatives on campus this week, encouraging students to raise awareness on social media and to donate to the cause.
Nicole Brummer, vice-prim of Venustia, said that they are building on last year’s lipstick initiative. “The Pink Lip is effective in the fact that if someone who rarely wears lipstick suddenly wears these bright pink lips, people are going to notice it and might start asking questions.”
Members of Venustia have been handing out cupcakes in the Neelsie in return for a donation of any kind since Monday. “All donations from students will be given to PinkDrive to help them in their efforts,” Brummer explained.
Elsa Richter, second year BA Humanities student, said in response to the awareness week: “I believe that people on campus need to be aware of the threat breast cancer entails and must have the opportunity to help where they can.”
Third year civil engineering student Theo-John Stergianos believes that breast cancer awareness is a vital aspect in any community. “I fully support Venustia in their efforts and will definitely be donating for those cupcakes,” he said.
PinkDrive is a non-profit organisation that aims to raise funds to help medically uninsured breast cancer victims.
Fébé Meyer, Marketing and Event director of PinkDrive, said that PinkDrive helps to provide free scanning, such as mammograms, to women who are not medically insured. “We have worked with the university and some of its residences in the past and we are very happy for Venustia’s contribution,” Meyer added.
PinkDrive encourages both men and women to feel for lumps on a monthly basis from puberty onwards.
Residences like Minerva and Huis ten Bosch have also shown their support by wearing pink lipstick and posting photos on social media, using the hashtag #bcaw2017.
Photo: Elze Goosen
