The Tufts Panhellenic Council last week kicked off a fundraising campaign for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) with a series of bake sales in the Mayer Campus Center.
According to senior Jillian Joseph, president of the Panhellenic Council, while the bake sale was "quite successful, it is just the beginning of our fundraising efforts for the BARCC walk."
In addition to the bake sale, the Panhellenic Council on April 11 will participate in the upcoming BARCC Walk For Change.
The fifth annual Walk for Change, which will take place along the Charles River, will continue to raise awareness about sexual violence and generate funds to support the organization.
The Panhellenic Council decided to direct its efforts toward the BARCC because the organization is the only free provider of rape−crisis assistance in the Boston area.
"The BARCC plays a critical role in the greater Boston area, as it is the only rape crisis center in the region, and it has become a national leader in the realm of providing care to victims of sexual violence," Joseph said.
According to senior Becca Weinstein, director of public relations for the Panhellenic Council, the BARCC provides a unique service to the women in the community.
This is the second year in a row that the Panhellenic Council has supported the BARCC through fundraising efforts, Joseph said.
"Because the sororities that we represent on campus are women's organizations first and foremost, we think it is especially important to support organizations that impact the lives of women in our community," Joseph said.
Weinstein agreed that this was a critical show of solidarity by women's organizations on campus, but also pointed out that other student organizations, including a number of fraternities, will potentially take part in the walk as well.
The BARCC Walk is organized in conjunction with April's status as Sexual Awareness Month. The event was created to bring community, friends and family members together to call attention to the issue of sexual violence and generate sufficient funds to support at−risk women all over the Boston area.
Last year's walk raised over $110,000, with 1,150 registered walkers participating. This year, the organization hopes to increase profits to $125,000 and attract 1,200 walkers.
The Tufts Panhellenic Council will continue fundraising on the Tufts campus until April 11, and also through the BARCC fundraising Web site. —by Alexa Rosenthall
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