Philanthropy
In 1928, residents in rural communities of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia were the first to benefit from ZTA’s philanthropic efforts. Zetas aided the people of Currin Valley in Smith City, Virginia, where ZTA established a health center. At the close of the Health Center in 1946, ZTA adopted the Cerebral Palsy Division of the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults. Later, ZTA adopted Easter Seals. In 1970, ZTA formed an alliance with the Association for Retarded Citizens (now known as The ARC) as its national philanthropy. Over the years, in addition to its designated national philanthropy, Zeta Tau Alpha has also supported the Red Cross, the Sunshine Kids Foundation and Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF).
In 1992, ZTA adopted The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as its national philanthropy. Later, the Fraternity broadened its focus to encompass not only the Komen Foundation, but also other educational means dedicated to fighting breast cancer through education, awareness and promoting breast health.
In 2004, Think Pink became a registered trademark of Zeta Tau Alpha. We hold this to be a great honor and a tribute to our relentless efforts in the fight against breast cancer.
Iota Omega participates in many programs regarding the fight against Breast Cancer, including handing out ribbons at Washington Redskins games, Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives, Race for the Cure, Courage Night and our semesterly Cheese Fry sale. We believe that our steadfast support and involvement in our philanthropy sets us apart from all other organizations. We are consistently finding new ways to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and show our support for those brave women fighting breast cancer. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about our philanthropy, please contact the philanthropy chairs, Sarah Wein at swein@umd.edu or Laura Aber at laber@umd.edu.
ZTA/NFL Partnership
In the fall of 1999, the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha developed a new community service project based on the already successful THINK-PINK!® campaign by getting involved with their local NFL team, the Washington Redskins. At the first Redskins home game in October, ZTA collegians and alumnae from the metropolitan Washington D.C. area joined together to distribute 8,000 THINK-PINK!® ribbons to fans, stadium employees and even the team owner. In the year 2000, ZTA expanded the program with NFL events in Indianapolis, Miami, New York and again at Washington D.C., distributing over 85,000 ribbons. In 2001, the association with the NFL spread tripled to 12 teams with support from the general office of the NFL and the ZTA Foundation. That year, new ribbon-stickers were introduced. The program continued in 2002 in nine NFL cities and with one NBA team. To date, ZTA chapters have worked with more than a dozen teams to participate in the ZTA THINK-PINK!® campaign, reaching more than 500,000 football fans across the country. For the future, this program promises to continue its growth in spreading awareness.
Iota Omega continued the NFL and ZTA tradition by participating in the handing out of ribbons at the Washington Redskins game on October 10, 2005.
Race For The Cure
Every year, Iota Omega participates in Baltimore's Race for the Cure. ZTA began an association with The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in 1992 when it became the first national sponsor of the Race for the Cure®’s National Series Breast Cancer Survivor Recognition Program. Since that year, ZTA has continually served as a national sponsor of the Survivor Recognition Program. In the early 1990s, ZTA co-sponsored this program for three years with Kellogg. In 2002, RE/MAX replaced Kellogg as ZTA’s co-sponsor. ZTA provides the signature pink T-shirts and caps for participants to wear during the race. As part of the Survivor Program, ZTA also provides pink “In Memory Of” and “In Celebration Of” back signs for participants to wear during the Race for the Cure® events so they may race in honor of a friend or loved one. The ZTA Foundation also provides an educational item for each Race participant, such as the ZTA Breast-Self Examination (BSE) Calendar Reminder Stickers.
On behalf of ZTA, the Foundation has donated more than $1.6 million to The Susan G. Komen Foundation since 1992. Additionally, more than 5,000 Zetas volunteer in excess of 50,000 hours each year to support the more than 100 Komen Race for the Cure® events nationwide.