This October, pink signs were scattered throughout campus and an enormous skeleton donning a bubblegum-colored shirt made its way to the Student Memorial Center. That could only mean one thing — Breast-a-Ville was upon us, the university’s annual event to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Hosted on the SMC Promenade from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the event featured games, a photo booth, interactive educational stands, opportunities for free merchandise, and more. Some tabling organizations included Penn State Health, Penn Medicine, Millersville Concerned Women, Letters of Love, and Help The Fight, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals with breast cancer.
Breast-a-Ville originated in 2011 after Dr. Dennis Denenberg lost his sister, a Millersville alumna, to breast cancer. Since then, Breast-a-Ville has become a student-favorite event throughout the years and continues to educate students on breast health in a way that is both effective and enjoyable. This year’s theme, “Take Care of Your BOObs,” combined the traditional breast cancer awareness pinks with spooky Halloween imagery.
Maddie Nitroy, the project manager for Breast-a-Ville and Office of Student Affairs secretary, said that her favorite part of Breast-a-Ville is “feeling the energy of the campus community come together” and seeing how “students seem eager to talk with exhibitors at the event and learn.”
“What originally brought me into this role was a mixture of my administrative background and a passion for helping to create impactful, organized traditions and events. I try to help steer the creative vision and keep the event vibrant and engaging year after year so while some elements of the event have remained the same over the years, there’s always something new or a fun theme to look forward to,” Nitroy said. “It has been incredibly rewarding to organize an event focused on awareness and education because it connects you directly to the attendees. Unfortunately, almost everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed, and it is meaningful to know that we are educating individuals on the proactive step they can take to maintain their health and encouraging them to seek help and support when needed.”
Missed this year’s Breast-a-Ville? Many of these organizations are also present at events throughout the year, such as the Wellness Fair and Project Safety. It’s never too late to make an impact by working with Millersville’s community and raising awareness.
