Southern Miss students will be seeing pink all over campus as college departments and facilities celebrate ‘Pinktober.’

Paint Southern Miss Pink is a university wide initiative to raise breast cancer awareness during the month of October.

Various activities and competitions will take place to spread awareness. The entire month will feature activities such as Tabling Tuesdays, Group Exercise Wednesdays, a golf cart decorating contest, a door, window and room decorating contest and a Pink Aerobathon.

Tabling Tuesdays will take place on the first three Tuesdays in October. Donations will be collected outside the Fresh Food Company in the Thad Cochran Center. They will benefit a local breast cancer awareness group and other programs.

Group Exercise Wednesdays will take place at the Payne Center. Students and staff will wear pink and sport pink ribbons to raise awareness.

The golf cart contest has created excitement around campus. The contest is open to any campus department who uses a golf cart. The decorated carts will be entered into the Golf Cart Parade on Oct. 4 and showcased in the Eagle Walk Oct. 5. Departments can register online at http://www.usm.edu/rec-sports/paint-in-pink.

The door, room and window-decorating contest will last until the end of October.  Participants are asked to email pictures of the decorations to [email protected]. Winners will be announced Oct. 28.

The month will conclude with the Pink Aerobathon on Oct. 24. The event will take place outside on Intramural Field 1. The event will consist of a two-hour demo of group exercise classes. There will be a prize giveaway and the first 100 people at the field will receive a door prize. To enter the giveaway, participants must donate $1 or more to the local Breast Cancer Awareness Fund.

“It is one way to lighten up the work week by competing in craft-work,” said Abigail Elias, fitness and wellness coordinator for the department of rec sports. “It’s for a great cause.”

“Take action in getting yourself tested and staying active with doctor visits,” she said.

For more information about these initiatives, visit www.usm.edu/rec-sports/paint-it-pink.