[box]Nicole Perley, a senior in the School of Nursing at Quinnipiac University, was among those who got pink hair extensions in support of breast cancer awareness. Photo by Anna Brundage.[/box]
Students, faculty and staff at Quinnipiac University wore pink hair extensions in support of breast cancer awareness on Oct. 10.
Student volunteers in the Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education at Quinnipiac partnered with LaserMedica Dermacenters, of North Haven, to bring Pink Hair for Hope to the North Haven Campus for a second consecutive year.
For a $10 donation, thin hair extensions in various shades of pink were crimped into donors’ hair.
Cindy Christie, assistant dean of career development in the School of Health Sciences, helped organize the university-wide event.
“We’re raising breast cancer awareness and bringing together students from all majors,” said Christie.
“This is a good opportunity to get to know the role of other professions,” said Adrian David, a junioroccupational therapy student and community service chair of the Student Occupational Therapy Association. “Cancer is inter-professional and everyone can work for an end to it.”
The donations collected through the initiative benefit the American Cancer Society.
Vittoria Petreuzziello, of LaserMedica, said she enjoys working with the university.
“Early detection is so important. We work with the university to give more exposure and be proactive in prevention,” said Petreuzziello.
Many individuals are affected by cancer. Nicole Perley, a senior nursing student, is one.
“My mom actually has breast cancer so I’ve always been a supporter,” Perley said. “This raises awareness about how many people are actually affected.”
QuinniPR, a student group at the university, held a pink hair extension event for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the Carl Hansen Student Center on the Mount Carmel Campus on Oct. 10.
“It makes me really happy to be here and see how everyone wants to be involved, you can tell people are really happy to be part of it,” said Brianna Quinn, a senior public relations major and co-coordinator of the event. “I hope that those who participate feel good and will have a pink hair strand to remember that they did something for a good cause.”
“It’s a great event,” said Christine Patti, a junior public relations major and co-coordinator of the three-year-old event. “It’s great to see it grow so much every year.”
“Getting a hair strand is a reminder that every time you’re doing your hair, you’re going to look at it and say, ‘I did this to help fight breast cancer,'” Patti said.