Kwantlen students support fight against breast cancer

In support of breast cancer awareness month, the Kwantlen Student Association held a Breast Cancer Cupcake Bar last week.

This was the third year of the annual event, held on the Richmond, Langley and Surrey campuses, and it raised $877, all of which goes to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

“It’s been a lot more responsive than the last few years, and we were thinking maybe it’s just the way we’ve set up. We’ve grown with the event, made it a little bigger, a little fancier,” said Reena Bali, director of events and student life.

The recipe for the cupcakes sold on Richmond and Surrey campuses was donated by the local business Dolce Delights; the cupcakes were made by campus representative Nicole Joe.

“The ones from Langley, we bought from a local bakery called Frostings, only because it’s really hard to bake cupcakes for three days in a row,” said Bali. “In Langley, the cupcakes went really fast. We were done by 1:30, students and faculty were buying them like no tomorrow.”

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation estimates 23,200 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, which is up 500 from 2009. Close to 950 of these cases will be women under 40.

Men are also affected by breast cancer. Estimates suggest 180 men will be diagnosed with the disease in 2010.

Cupcake sales support cancer charity

Kwantlen’s annual Cupcakes for Charity event has cooked up a fresh batch of donations for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

A table of sugary treats and origami roses was set up in the Richmond campus rotunda on Tuesday. Human Resources Management student Nicole Joe, who ran the bake sale, noted its success.

“Brownies sold out within an hour,” said Joe. “We didn’t expect them to be gone that fast.”

Joe said there is a history of breast cancer on her mother’s side of the family and also has an uncle battling lung cancer. Because her uncle doesn’t smoke and is generally healthy, she said she thinks that the cancer naturally occurred, which lends to her compassion on the issue.

Jessica Ford of Kwantlen’s START volunteer program was also selling treats.

“My aunt has breast cancer […] she’s in line for a new breast,” said Ford.

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the two women decided to contribute their personal experiences to the cause. They sold a variety of homemade goodies, including origami flowers, brownies and, of course, cupcakes Joe also had a portfolio of her paper plants, which she said sold better than expected.

For a minimum 50-cent donation for the cupcakes and $2 for the origami roses, supporters also received a pink breast cancer ribbon.

After only two hours, the table saw its fair share of support.

“Cupcakes are going really well—people buy trays of six, people buy more than one…,” said Joe.

Though the event took place on the Richmond campus, a charity sale may pop up on the Surrey campus as well.

Article by Kristi Jut and Jacob Zinn.