Theme house on campus uses project to educate community and raise money for breast cancer

Each year approximately 220,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 women are destined to lose the battle.

The Breast Cancer Awareness House, led by sophomore Chelsea Hamerlinck, holds a major project each semester to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Hamerlinck along with five other girls living in the house worked on their project at the second to last home football game on Saturday, Nov. 2. The group of girls encouraged the entire crowd to wear pink – the color symbolizing breast cancer.

“I think some people don’t realize how serious breast cancer is,” Hamerlinck said. “It’s just something I’ve always been really passionate about, especially since breast cancer runs in my family.”

The Breast Cancer Awareness House held a raffle, a bake sale and trivia questions in which prizes were also handed out. Hamerlinck estimated 140 breast cancer awareness t-shirts were sold beforehand. The organization sold 200 more shirts at the game.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to a charity that provides free mammograms for women. The charity has yet to be decided.

During the game, survivors of breast cancer in the crowd were encouraged to stand up so they can be recognized for their battle with breast cancer.

The house was started in 2010 by alumni Jenni Stumpf who also has a family history of breast cancer.

“Simpson has great students who like to get involved and we always felt that if we could get a few people involved, the trend would catch on,” Stumpf said. “By getting the sporting events involved, we were able to reach out to not only the students and faculty, but the community and other colleges that our teams were playing.”

Stumpf was pleased to hear of the house’s plans to support breast cancer.

“It makes me proud that they have continued this trend. I am so happy that there was Lindsey Nash ’13 to pass it on when I left,” Stumpf said. “Simpson is a great community and I feel as though they can be passionate about breast cancer awareness, it can definitely make a difference in our society.”