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There is a new fundraiser coming into bloom on campus. As Breast Cancer Awareness Month nears, the University of Maine’s Women’s Symposium Committee will be selling pink tulip bulbs for $1 each to help support the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Fund. For each dollar raised, one tulip bulb will be planted on campus. The tulips will be planted near Fogler Library and around Memorial Union during Greek Week by many organizations on campus such as Senior Skulls, Sophomore Owls, the Women’s Symposium and many Greek organizations.
“The Pink Tulip Project is an amazing fundraising effort to help the Women’s Cancer Fund. Not only will you be supporting women in need, but also helping to beautify our campus. The tulips will be planted in early October and will shine through in the spring,” said Caitlin Sanborn, an organizer for this event on campus.
The Maine Cancer Foundation’s web site explains that the “The Pink Tulip Project was founded by Robin Whitten of Portland, Maine after her 2004 breast cancer diagnosis. Throughout her winter-long treatment, Robin anticipated seeing her spring garden of tulips. That beautiful vision kept her going and inspired her to share the optimism of spring’s renewal by creating the Pink Tulip Project.”
The goal for the project is to raise $15,000, all of which will go to the MCF, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people who live in Maine. The money is used to support scientific research, education and patient support programs.
This fundraiser, in its first year, had 15,000 tulips that were donated for this cause. To help spread awareness in Maine, the bulbs have been split between Portland and the Auburn/Lewiston area, which will each receive 5,000 bulbs. The greater Bangor area will receive 4,000 bulbs, and UMaine will receive 1,000 bulbs. All the bulbs are ready to be planted, donation dependent.
According to www.nationalbreastcancer.org, “Every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.” Through this fundraiser, the hope is that people who have been affected by breast cancer will come together for one cause.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, somehow, or knows someone that has,” said Michelle Morneault, one of the organizers of the event on campus. “This is just a way to be reminded of that by seeing the pink tulips.”
Pink tulip bulbs will be on sale until sold out. You may purchase a bulb in your name or in memory of someone either online through www.mainecancer.org or by e-mailing either Caitlin Sanborn or Michelle Morneault on FirstClass.
Bangor Daily News