Julie Chacho, 18, of Seymour, created the winning design for the 2013 “Seymour Pink” T‑shirt.
Chacho is a graduating senior at Seymour High School. She will be attending Western Connecticut State University as a freshman this fall. She’ll explore various career options, leaning towards a career in the medical field.
She entered the contest because Seymour Pink has played a large roll in her high school life.
“Aside from loving art and loving being a part of my community, I chose to enter the contest because I have understood first hand what cancer, of any kind, can do to a person, how it can tear you and your loved ones down to the core. It’s a very emotional experience to endure, and Pink inspired me to want to be a part of the movement to stop all things cancer,” she said.
She related how a very good family fried had breast cancer.
Julie was very young when the friend was diagnosed, but can sill remember how weird it was seeing her before and after her chemotherapy.
Chacho stated that in seventeen years she’s never seen the woman without a smile.
Stories like this have been inspirational to her, where she knows that there are so many men and women in her community that are affected by breast cancer.
Chacho wanted her T‑shirt design to be simple, yet empowering. It makes use of a simple heart that incorporates the pink ribbon to portray of a community that sticks together through the devastating hardship of breast cancer.
“I wanted to show how together we can make a difference, by standing by each other and loving one another we can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. I feel as though my design portrays this in the simplicity of that heart, showing that the love and strength of community can truly make a difference,” she said.
For her winning entry, she won a $300 scholarship from Seymour Pink Inc. to help pay her university bills.
But to Chacho it was more important to know that she is helping to spread the message by having 2,500 copies of her design being worn to help support the mission of Seymour Pink.
This is the fifth year of Seymour Pink fund-raising events, said Theresa Conroy, a member of the Seymour Pink Inc. board of directors.
Seymour Pink has raised over $300,000 since that time, through fundraising activities both by the organization and others who have joined independently.
“What started as just a T‑shirt fundraiser has blossomed throughout the whole community. Individuals and organizations hold independent fundraisers and donate the proceeds to Seymour Pink. The board is overwhelmed by our community’s support to help fight this disease,” Conroy said.
The Town of Seymour has proclaimed Wednesday, Oct. 16, to be Seymour Pink Day.
Mary Deming, founder and President of Seymour Pink stated that it is a day for people to think pink, decorate pink and wear pink.
“In our community, no one fights this battle alone. We are here to support them through their journey to recovery,” Deming said.
As a Seymour High School teacher, she said the design contest exposes students to the importance of battling breast cancer at an early age.
The new shirt design is available at locations in the area, including Tickled Pink, Seybridge Pharmacy, Hair Intrigue, EnV Hair Salon and through the Seymour Pink website.
For more information, visit www.seymourpink.com or contact them via email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
