Editor’s note: Daily staff reporter Tenzin Menrinesan is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi. Menrinetsang did not contribute to the reporting or editing of this article.
The University of Michigan’s sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, held its annual Mr. Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Pageant Friday night in the Michigan Union Quenzel Room. The charity event brought together approximately 100 UM students, staff, and parents to raise money and raise awareness during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Several student groups performed at the competition, including multiple Asian multicultural groups such as FunKtion, DB3, and Daebak 3, all male-only dance groups. In addition to group performances, the pageant also featured a breast cancer trivia challenge and additional individual performances. During individual performances, the audience votes for the winner who will win the title of Mr. Pink.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Rina Hashimoto, vice president of services for Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, spoke about the event’s past successes and the impact of the fundraiser.
“This is our third annual show and is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for breast cancer, highlighting the sorority’s commitment to supporting women and families affected by breast cancer.” said Hashimoto. “The sorority as a whole has raised $1.1 million to date, meaning Mr. Pink is not only entertaining, but also serves as a powerful platform and community support.”
Hashimoto said the funds will go to the aKDPhi Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on women’s empowerment, through a fundraiser and then given as grants to organizations focused on breast cancer awareness and support. Hashimoto also discussed some of the educational aspects of the event, including a slideshow presentation during the event that included information about common breast cancer symptoms and how to self-examine.
Katrina Oide, vice president of internal affairs for Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, spoke to the Daily about the performances that will take place during the competition and highlights of the pageant.
“This is one of our largest (philanthropy events) and we tend to promote it as a way for contestants who are typically involved in other Asian-related student organizations on campus to get involved. This allows us to bring other groups into the mix,” Oide said. “I think the highlight will be these contestants competing for specific titles and awards.”
Other student groups such as Soul Juice, Women’s Kayo, Revolution, and Photonics also performed throughout the evening. The contest ended with the announcement of the winner of Mr. Pink. Brandon Shin, a member of the Asian American Society and a junior in the engineering department, performed a short impersonation.
Alana Chiu, a member of LSA Junior’s student K-pop dance team Women’s Gayo, told The Daily that the pageant provides a fun opportunity to perform on behalf of the group and raise breast cancer awareness. He said he was doing it.
“We perform here every year,” Chiu said. “We’re so excited to support aKDPhi and Breast Cancer Awareness. We’re just here to perform, have fun, and support a good cause, and the show is really fun.”
Daily staff reporter Cristina Micu can be reached at cmicu@umich.edu.
