By: Marjorie Laydon, past Vice President, and Christina Seymour, incoming President of Penn State Altoona's Alpha Iota Theta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta

We, as English majors, all have a novel, poem, or story that "saves" us. These works inspire hope, courage, and strength in us. On March 23rd, 2010, Penn State Altoona's chapter of Sigma Tau Delta joined with their friends to share these texts, celebrate their power, and show that reading literally can save lives.

With our very first Reading for the Cure event--inspired by Clarion University that, for twelve tremendous years, has raised money and awareness for breast cancer--we raised over $950. These funds went directly to Penn State Hershey's Cancer Institute, which sponsors ground-breaking research and treatments for breast cancer. We spent days prior to the event at tables on campus fundraising, selling donated breast cancer items, petitioning local businesses and organizations for donations, and signing up volunteer readers. We were lucky enough to have Clarion’s event originator, Dr. Kevin Stemmler, and the immediate-past President of Sigma Tau Delta, Dr. Robert Crafton, attend our event and commend our efforts. To our pleasure, they applauded our first event as a huge success.

Centered on celebration and inspiration, the evening included literary readings, raffles, a silent auction, and a litany of door prizes as arranged by Dr. Laura Rotunno and our officers and supporters, Becky Diehl, Marjorie Laydon, Christina Seymour, and Bridgetta Parker. Over fifty guests joined us on that Tuesday in March to celebrate and honor the people who have been diagnosed with, survived, or may have lost someone to breast cancer.

Guests entering the event first came upon a delicious arrangement of brownies, cookies, and lemon squares. Then they encountered the merchandise table at which they could purchase items ranging from one dollar to fifteen dollars: items like bookmarks, pencils, pink and gray “Reading for the Cure at Penn State Altoona” t-shirts, “Save Second Base” magnets, and sterling silver breast cancer awareness bracelets. Here, guests purchased raffle tickets for an extraordinary quilt donated and created by Barbara Diehl. They also had the chance to participate in a silent auction for fun prizes like “Save the Ta-Tas” t-shirts and a basket of martini glasses. In addition, many guests received door prizes, including gift certificates, “Fight Like a Girl” t-shirts, books from local creative writers, and more, just for attending the event.

The true focus of the evening, however, was listening to a total of twenty guest speakers. These speakers were established creative writers, students, and the general public, including several breast cancer survivors and their family members. Many of Penn State Altoona's creative writing professors were present that night to read their original works and contribute to the cause. For example, our own Steve Sherrill read three poems all of which had to do with breasts. Lee Peterson read some of her poems exploring interactions with birth and death, including “She Was Born and I Began,” “I Begin to Forget the World Without Her,” and “Autumn Poem.” Similarly examining courage in the face of illness and struggle, Erin Murphy read her “Birthday Poem” and “Teaching Tanya.” Dr. Patricia Welsey read "Elegy for Dessie," a poem composed for and dedicated to her friend, Dessie Webster, who died of complications with brain cancer in 1997. Barbara Diehl, a sister to two breast cancer survivors, read an original piece discussing what she learned from watching her sisters fight an unyielding enemy. For a nice change of pace, Dr. Douglas Page, a professor of history, read from The Tao of Pooh. Other readers presented poems and stories that shared how, in times of struggle, people remain strong, inspired and hopeful of the future.

Because our organization is committed to this cause, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Laura Rotunno (ler12@psu.edu) about founding a Reading for the Cure event at your campuses, attending and volunteering at our future events (to be held annually), joining our mailing list, and/or offering donations.

While the project seems like a difficult undertaking, with just a few people and a good cause, you can make a difference and bring many people, each with his/her own story, together for a night of inspiring literature and generosity.