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The Erie, Pa. community kicked off events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 1, and Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) took time to help recognize those afflicted with the condition.

The LECOM chapter of the American Pharmacists Association in Erie, Pa. handed out pink ribbons for all students and faculty to wear throughout the day and all were encouraged to wear a pink shirt or tie.

LECOM students, faculty and staff gathered in the school's atrium in Erie, Pa., on Oct. 1 to create a "Human Pink Ribbon" in recognition of the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Those who wore pink to the school had the opportunity to form a “Pink Red Ribbon,” a symbolic gesture aimed to show support for those who live with breast cancer and survivors of the condition.

According to Sohini Sarkar, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa., the event brings together medical and pharmacy students and faculty to raise awareness for an important cause.

“As future pharmacists and physicians, our students will be on the front lines working to prevent the onset of cancer and encouraging patients to be screened,” she said. “These students will eventually play a prominent role in the communities they will serve, and it will be their duty to contribute to the awareness of breast cancer.”

On Oct. 3, LECOM students will participate in the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk on Erie’s bayfront. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly five million walkers have raised more than $340 million through this event since it began in 1993.