SLU Sends Largest Team to Sista Strut 2016

Known as the Fairy God Walkers, Saint Louis University registered the largest team for the seventh annual Sista Strut breast cancer walk in St. Louis.

More than 100 members of the SLU community joined the University's team for the annual walk to benefit breast cancer research. Photo by James W. Holzer

A total of 103 members of the SLU community signed up to be Fairy God Walkers, participating in the three-mile event that began at Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The team was organized by assistant professor Jonathan Smith, Ph.D., and executive assistant Regina Walton, both of the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, and Dell Yates, program coordinator for Cancer Center Operations. Walton and Yates captained the team.

“We did it because this is what SLU is all about — our participation shows commitment to being women and men for and with others,” Walton said. “Personally for me, I did it because I wanted to raise awareness about cancer and its effects on women of color. The unity was beautiful to see and feel — it was fun to be with so many wonderful colleagues and friends.”

As a group, SLU raised just over $3,000 — the University covered the cost of the $30 registration fee for the first $100 participants. Proceeds from Sista Strut go to area nonprofits that help women battling breast cancer, as well as benefiting survivors and research. The walk was organized to raise money and increase awareness of the issues of cancer that women of color face.

Among the SLU community at least, five of the women in the walk identified as breast cancer survivors. Others said they were walking for members of their family, the community and the larger SLU community.

Participants represented units, academic and not, across campus and beyond. Several participants brought their children. Others had grandchildren and other family members with them.

The morning of the event, a large number of SLU team members showing their SLU spirit and creativity. Bedazzled in vibrant handmade multi-colored tutus and sparkling, hot pink and blue SLU crowns, many carried wands. Michelle Lewis, director of Institutional Equity and Diversity and Felicia Echols, coordinator of the Office of Clinical Education Compliance donned cherry red wigs silver ball earrings and white boas.

“We decided we needed to go all out because that is what you have to do with cancer — you have to be in it to win it,” Echols said. “It’s symbolic — it represents what it takes to be a survivor.”