Several student groups at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) helped raise awareness and show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year.
OCCC’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosted a free event for students and staff members on Oct. 24, when more than 340 visitors stopped by the Main Building to partake in the activities and food buffet.
Event activities included arts and crafts, information tables, and a photo booth provided by three OCCC clubs: Latina Sisters, Hispanic Student Association, and the Writers’ Guild.
The Latina Sisters, in its second year as a campus club, previously has participated in events for breast cancer awareness, including the Susan G. Komen “More Than Pink” walk. This year, 10 club members attended the walk.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Oklahoma has the second-highest breast cancer mortality rate in the country, and Oklahoma City has one of the highest rates of incidence in the state of Oklahoma.
With rates so high, it is not uncommon for a person to either know someone with breast cancer or have it themselves, noted Julianna Delgado, president of Latina Sisters.
“We have many members in the club that have had cancer, or their family does,” she said. “Cancer is so common — it connects us.”
Last year, club members joined the Komen walk to show support for one of their clubmates, and this year, they walked for a clubmate’s mother. The Susan G. Komen organization and Project31 also partnered with OCCC to host information booths where students could learn more about cancer and ways to find support.
