Uni In The Pink For A Good Cause

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday October 16, 2008

By KATELIN McINERNEY

THERE was no need to send in the clowns yesterday at the University of Wollongong's Pink Breakfast.

They arrived bright and early, decked out in bubblegum pink, raring to get into the serious business of downing a Danish pastry and raising funds for breast cancer research.

Clowns, cowboys, scientists, boxers, cricketers and even Get Physical dancers dressed in every shade of pink imaginable and enjoyed an entertaining morning of surprise performances, raffles and auctions.

Organisers of the biggest blush-coloured breakfast bash in NSW were delighted with the rosy showing of more than 500 staff members and students willing to put cancer research ahead of their morning coffee.

Five male members of the UOW senior executive, including Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor John Patterson, delighted the audience with their P-I-N-K interpretation of the Village People classic YMCA and raked in $2250 at auction.

The breakfast aimed to raise $20,000 and organiser Lynne Wright said that although final calculations were still being made, the total was close to the mark.

Breast cancer survivor and guest speaker Jessica Lopez said she was touched by the generosity and amount of effort the UOW community had put into the morning.

"People love dressing up and supporting a good cause," Ms Lopez said.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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