Students Plan Brunch for Cancer Patients/Survivors
2/20/15 UPDATE: KELLY CARES FOUNDATION FOUNDER AND BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR PAQUI KELLY, WIFE OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL COACH BRIAN KELLY, WILL BE THE FEATURED SPEAKER.
Media Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
February 11, 2015 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Students in the Saint Mary’s College Stands Up To Cancer Club will host its 4th annual “Don’t Stop Believin’” event with a brunch on Sunday, March 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Stapleton Lounge in Le Mans Hall. The brunch will celebrate the lives of local people affected by cancer. Anyone on campus or in Michiana impacted by cancer, including patients, survivors, families, caretakers, and nurses, are invited to this free event, but must RSVP to club president Christina Hutch ’15 by SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22, chutch01@saintmarys.edu, or phone, (330) 720-5813. Click for a campus map.
The student club is affiliated with the national organization Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), which was founded in 2008 with a very simple goal: to raise money to fund additional and accelerated cancer research in an effort to save lives. One in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. SU2C’s campaign emphasizes the vast number of people that in some way have been touched by the disease and encourages collaboration to overcome and defeat cancer. The SMC Stands Up to Cancer club hosts several events throughout the year to raise money that is directly donated to the national organization. The group also focuses on volunteer community involvement. Last semester’s major events included the Pink Party Zumbathon and the Be the Match Bone Marrow Drive.
Hutch, a senior nursing major and club president, describes the brunch as an “event to celebrate the lives of our local heroes.” She believes it to be important to extend the invitation to local cancer patients because “everyone at the event will have a very different story from the person sitting next to them, but they will all be supporting a common cause, and that will be very special to witness.”
Past “Don’t Stop Believin’” events have included two proms and a dinner. The brunch will include a student D.J. and crafts and balloon animals for kids. Just for attending, each guest will be entered into a raffle to win baskets from local vendors such as Edible Arrangements, South Bend Chocolate, and the Kelly Cares Foundation.
“I hope that the brunch will serve as a way for those affected by cancer, on campus and beyond, to know that Saint Mary’s campus supports them. We know that the South Bend community has a wide network of cancer survivors and supporters, but we also realize that there are those on campus who have been personally affected by the disease as well,” Hutch said.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. By the fall of 2015, pending accreditations anticipated in the spring, Saint Mary’s College will offer two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News.
~Maggie McLaughlin, media relations intern, wrote this press release.