AUT in the Pink
AUT University went Pink for the first ever AUT Pink Ribbon Breakfast.
The breakfast was held in Four Seasons Restaurant on the City Campus and over 50 people attended the early morning festivities, supporting the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.
Guests were treated with Johanneshof bubbles on arrival, fresh fruit, pastries, tea, coffee and orange juice before bacon and eggs Benedict.
While starting the day off right, guests heard from School of Hospitality and Tourism senior lecturer Kaye Payne, who has had Breast Cancer and her Breast Cancer Nurse Marilyn Bellingham.
Both stressed the importance of regular checks, especially considering one in nine New Zealand women will be diagnosed with the disease.
Also speaking was NZBCF ambassador Jackie Clarke, who entertained the crowd with the story of her first mammogram and gave the audience facts and figures about Breast Cancer.
During her speech she emphasised the success of the Pink Ribbon Breakfast idea.
"They have been such a blessing for the foundation. It went from 200 held a few years ago and the target for this year was 500. This year there have been 1250 throughout the country."
She also auctioned off some prizes donated to the breakfast including a necklace from Agatha Paris Fashion Jewellery, a voucher from French Revolver Hair Salon and a giant chocolate and raspberry cake, decorated with pink sugar ribbons.
The cake was made by AUT hospitality student William Ma, and took three days to complete. It was bought by an AUT staff member who then donated it the Oncology Ward at Auckland Hospital.
A group from AUT delivered the cake on Thursday afternoon to a ward full of eager staff.