Oxford, Mississippi — The Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation is a national organization dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever. This organization originated in 1982 in honor of Susan G. Komen who lost her life to breast cancer. Since having been established, the Foundation has become the global leader of the fight against breast cancer and has invested more than $1 billion into breast cancer research. There are 121 local Affiliate offices, one of which is located in Central Mississippi–the Central Mississippi Steel Magnolias.

This Affiliate Susan G. Komen Chapter, established in 1999, has granted out over $2.75 million dollars over the past 15 years. Seventy-five percent of the funds received by the Affiliate stay in Central Mississippi and provide education on breast cancer and free mammograms, while the remaining 25% goes to the National Komen Organization to fund groundbreaking research that will hopefully one day lead the world to a cure. The Susan G. Komen Central Mississippi Chapter has been the center of KE Alpha Gamma Chapter’s fundraising efforts the past several years. The Alpha Gammas chose this chapter in particular as their main philanthropy because it helps local patients in the state their university calls home.

The Alpha Gamma Chapter has three main fundraisers throughout each year to raise money for the Central Mississippi Susan G. Komen Chapter: a bake sale held during breast cancer awareness month, a Halloween party for the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s students and faculty and the Womanless Beauty Pageant. Items from the bake sale are made by members of the chapter.

Each year, the Halloween party is highly anticipated by not only the pharmacy student body, but also by the faculty. There are costume contests and prizes for the winners. This year’s theme was “Apothescary”. The Alpha Gammas can always count on this event to not only bring the entire pharmacy school out for a well-deserved night off, but also to, more importantly, raise money for their philanthropy.

The Womanless Beauty Pageant is held each spring, and contestants are male pharmacy students who are brave enough to be seen in a dress! The hosts of the pageant, as well as the judges, are pharmacy faculty. The contestants participate in an onstage Q&A session, a talent show and beauty walk.

The total amount raised by the Alpha Gamma Chapter in the 2013-2014 year was $1,300. This donation was given to the Central Mississippi Susan G. Komen Chapter in April 2014 to support the philanthropic organization. Kappa Epsilon Alpha Gamma is honored to have made this contribution toward the community and scientific research in the hopes of one day finding a cure to ultimately end breast cancer.

By Katherine Baggett, Alpha Chi Chapter Member