Texas A&M University-Commerce is honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

National Breast Cancer Awareness month is an annual international health campaign organized by partnerships of national public service organizations, government agencies, and professional medical associations. Together they work to promote and raise awareness of breast cancer. It began in 1985 as a collaboration effort between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries. They began by promoting the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer, mammography which is an x-ray photograph of the breast.

The pink ribbon was not the symbol of Breast Cancer since the beginning. Alexandra Penney, editor in chief of Self magazine, who was working on Self magazine‘s 1992 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue when a peach colored ribbon caught her attention. Charlotte Hayley, whose sister, daughter and granddaughter had breast cancer, had distributed peach-color ribbons on cards reading, “The National Cancer Institute’s annual budget is 1.8 billion US dollars, and only 5 percent goes to cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon.” Penney wanted to work with Hayley to promote the ribbon but she rejected the offer. Self magazine did not want the ribbon symbol to end so they changed the peach colored ribbon to pink.

Today, pink is the color of breast cancer. Those who wear the color honor the people who fought and are currently fighting their battle that is why the University Bookstore wants students to purchase their own pink t-shirt and other pink items for the month of October.

“Every year we bring in a Breast Cancer Awareness shirt,” Wendy Bowen, general merchandise manager said. “A small percentage is given to the Susan G. Komen foundation. One year we had a shirt that said Fight Like a Girl but every year it changes. All of our bookstores do this.”

The Susan G. Komen is the only organization that addresses breast cancer on multiple fronts such as research, community health, global outreach and public policy initiatives in order to make the biggest impact against this disease. It is their way of fighting.

Morris Recreation Center held the annual Pink Volleyball Tournament on Oct 4-6.

“The event was a huge volleyball tournament where teams a total of 15 teams played and because the volleyball is a huge 4ft-wide ball we let anyone play,” Alex Williams, Graduate Assistant: Club Sports and Special Events said.

Each person had to pay the $5 donation fee and the money will be donated to a breast cancer charity or fund. Two years ago, a local resident who survived breast cancer, so the money was donated to her charity fund.

“We haven’t decided where the money will be going to but it will be donated,” Williams said. “This is definitely for a great cause so want more people to sign up every year.”