Amy Poppinga

Students will have access to more tools in the fight against breast cancer after the Wellness Center received a $1,080 donation for breast cancer awareness and education on Jan. 15.

Faculty member Norma Nusz-Chandler, sorority Alpha Omega Epsilon (AOE) members Christine Keierleber and Krista May, and SDSU First Lady Marcia Chicoine presented a check for money raised in a quilt raffle to Ruth Schroeder, director of the Wellness Center. The raffle was held in conjunction with the Third Annual Trek Breast Cancer Awareness Ride in October 2008.

Schroeder said some of the money will go towards purchasing breast sample models so that students can learn to detect lumps in their breasts. Since the illness occurs in both sexes, this will be a great opportunity for male and female students to “learn to detect changes,” said Brenda Andersen, associate director of health and counseling services.

“This is a tool that could reach 10,000 students,” said Andersen. “What a great educational opportunity.”

The donated money may also help students during a family member’s battle with the illness. For example, Schroeder said the money could help students travel to visit their sick family member. For information on how to receive this funding, contact Schroeder at 605-688-6895.

The raffled quilt was the brainchild of Nusz-Chandler – who is the faculty adviser of AOE in addition to being an instructor of construction management. She decided to create the quilt and then approached members of AOE about helping with the project.

“I asked them to do it, and they put in a lot of love, energy and care into the quilt,” she said.

Members of the engineering sorority put in many hours piecing the quilt together so that it would be ready to be raffled during the October Breast Cancer Awareness Ride.

“We thought it was a fun thing we could do as a group to support the sisterhood bond at the same time as we were doing something good for the community,” said AOE President Keierleber.

While the quilt raffle raised $1,080, the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride netted $2,600 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Sioux River Bicycles and Fitness coordinates this event locally, and Trek Bicycles is the national sponsor. The fourth annual ride will take place Oct. 10.