WSU Marketing Club Raises Funds, Hosts Advocate for Women’s Cancer Research March 30

PULLMAN, Wash. — Business person and cancer research philanthropist Trish May will visit Washington State University on March 30 to receive a check for $1,500 from the student Marketing Club and to present a speech about “The Power of One: How Each of Us Can Make a Difference.”

The presentation by the former Microsoft marketing executive will be at 5:30 p.m. in Todd Hall, Room 276. The public is welcome.

“The Marketing Club met Trish May in January when we were looking for a way to get involved with the community and to help others,” says Becky Berndt, Marketing Club president. “In addition to being a marketing professional, she is a cancer survivor and has started a bottled water company that donates 100 percent of its profits to women’s cancer research. May asked if the club would like to work with her company to raise money.  We thought it was a great idea and knew that we could really learn a lot from her.”

May named her company Athena after the Greek goddess of strategic warfare, courage, wisdom and health. Athena Bottled Water is available at several businesses and hospitals in the Puget Sound area.  The money raised by May through Athena bottled water sales has been donated to institutions that include The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the University of Washington Medical Research Center and Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research. The sale of pink wristbands, symbolizing women’s cancer issues, supplements the sale of the water.

The Marketing Club agreed to sell pink Athena wristbands on campus and worked on a promotional plan. It grew to include advertising in The Daily Evergreen, selling the wristbands on campus, selecting key and influential people on campus to give the bracelets to, conducting a raffle for the chance to win $100 and having individual club members sell wristbands. The bracelets were sold for $1 each, and at the end of two months, the club has raised $1,500 to be donated to women’s cancer research. It will be given to May at the March 30 presentation.

“May’s vision is that the Northwest will become the leader in raising funds for women’s cancer research,” Berndt said. “The club members are very pleased with the results of our marketing campaign.”

For more information about May, Athena Partners or women’s cancer research, visit the organization’s Web site at www.athenapartners.org. Visit the WSU Marketing Club Web at www.cbe.wsu.edu/~mktgclub/.