December 02, 2014
‘Seeing Pink’ campaign funds scholarships
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale went all out “seeing pink” this fall and as a result, two SIU students will be getting scholarships next spring.
Organizers hope to offer even more and larger scholarships in years to come, as funding allows. The university launched the “Start Seeing Pink” initiative in October, serving as a breast cancer awareness campaign and a new scholarship campaign, funded by donations and a variety of special events and activities. Bowling, volleyball, a bra decorating contest, a human pink ribbon and special pink bracelets and T-shirts were some of the activities on campus that helped raise about $5,200.
Money collected during Start Seeing Pink is being used to create the Saluki Strength Breast Cancer fund, which will award scholarships and additional assistance to SIU students impacted by breast cancer. The first scholarship awards will be for the fall 2015 semester and plans call for the award of two $750 scholarships toward tuition, fees and textbooks.
Any SIU junior or senior with a GPA of 2.5 or above whose life has been impacted by breast cancer in some way, as they will explain in an essay on the application, is eligible to apply. The scholarship application will be available online sometime in January on the Financial Aid office website and applications are due March 15, 2015.
Start Seeing Pink will return in October 2015. In the meantime, donations are welcome all year long. To get involved or make a donation, visit www.studentcenter.siu.edu/pink. Photographs from this year’s Start Seeing Pink can be viewed there as well.