The Residence Halls Association hosted its eighth annual Paint It Pink Week to fundraise for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center this week.
RHA set a personal fundraising goal for the week at $3,000. As of Thursday evening, they had already raised roughly $2,200.
RHA members handed out cotton candy and popcorn all week in Speaker’s Circle and gave away T-shirts for a suggested donation of $5.
The proceeds this year are helping fund Ellis Fischel’s mammogram van, in which the hospital’s faculty members take the van through different parts of Missouri and give free mammograms for women who cannot afford to pay for the examination process.
RHA began funding for the mammogram van last year and RHA Vice President Shannon Dawson said this year’s funds will be allocated towards a new van.
Dawson, who is serving as RHA’s stand-in program coordinator, said the partnership with Ellis Fischel has been a great opportunity to connect students with the Columbia community.
“All of (RHA’s) funding comes from student fees so this is kind of enticing for students to get involved in the community service aspect,” Dawson said. “We’ve built this connection with an organization that is on campus but also gives back to the state, so it’s an overall rounding of the organization.”
Freshman James Bohnett made a donation in return for a T-shirt Friday afternoon at Speakers Circle.
“It doesn’t affect me specifically but I know people that might benefit from it,” Bohnett said. “It’s something that’s easy to do, it’s fun to do and it brings you closer to the community.”
RHA also partnered with local businesses Yogo Love Frozen Yogurt and Shakespeare’s Pizza to raise revenue through profit shares.
RHA President Jackson Farley said that RHA plans to make Paint it Pink Week bigger and better every year.
“We’ve had great support from all of Mizzou’s campus and it has been a cool week,” Farley said. “We’re working on a pledge with (Ellis Fischel) where we will donate money every year so it’s going to be a good relationship with them.”
Paint it Pink Week will conclude on Sunday with RHA and Mizzou volleyball’s Dig Pink event. The Tigers will face Alabama at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Hearnes Center as the annual Dig Pink Match and RHA will be accepting donations and giving away T-shirts at the game.
Dawson said RHA members look forward to the event because attendance has been so high due to the Tiger’s success and because it is “finally bringing in the community.”
