The Seasider Snackbar celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October and gave BYU-Hawaii students the opportunity to support breast cancer research by buying pink, Pitaya products. The Seasider donated 10 percent of sales made this October from Pitaya products to Play for P.I.N.K., a partner of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. To round out the month, on the afternoon of Oct. 31, the Seasider gave out free pitaya ice cream to anyone wearing pink.Play for P.I.N.K. donated $4.25 million to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 2013, which funded 17 life-saving projects, according to PitayaPlus.com. The Pitaya Plus Facebook page shares that one out of every eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making breast cancer the second most common cancer in the world.Amanda Hendry, a sophomore in marine biology from Idaho, said, “My mom had breast cancer, so I try to help out when I can. Breast cancer is very personal for my family and I, so if I have an opportunity to give and help others fight their battle, I do.” Buying Pitaya products is one way she can do that, said Hendry. Most of the students dressed in pink for free ice cream on Oct. 31 had similar stories. Stephanie Soto, a junior in business management from California, said, “I had a very close family friend who suffered from breast cancer, so I want to support when and where I can.”The pink dragon fruit-based Pitaya products are a perfect mascot for Breast Cancer Research whose supporters often wear pink ribbons, said Rachel Haynie, an employee at the Seasider Snackbar and freshman in psychology. Pitaya is a raw, organic dragon fruit that sprouts from a big, beautiful white flower that only blossoms during the nighttime, says to PitayaPlus.com. The dragon fruit maintains an earthy strawberry-raspberry taste. Madelyn Wilson, a sophomore majoring in psychology, is an employee at the Seasider and shared, “Pitaya smoothies and soft-serves are everyone’s favorite, and is preferred more over Pitaya bowls.”If you or someone you know would like to donate to the Breast Cancer Foundation, go to www.nationalbreastcancer.org to donate.
Writer: Reid Crickmore ~ Multimedia Journalist
