Article by Lindsey Hedrick

If you enjoy melted cheese – of all varieties, free Taco Bell coupons and supporting breast cancer awareness, then Zeta Tau Alpha’s Queso for a Cure event is where you should be on Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the FSC Ballroom.

ZTA’s national philanthropy is breast cancer awareness and education and their event lines up with breast cancer awareness month, which is October. Breast cancer, in fact, is far too common. One in eight women will be diagnosed with it, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Even though ZTA has many events throughout the month of October to donate and raise awareness on campus about breast cancer, Queso for a Cure is the perfect opportunity for students to either come out and eat a bunch of queso or make a team and participate in the competition.

ZTA at their 2016 Queso for a Cure event. Submitted by ZTA member Jamie Hall.

To make a team for this delicious event, the participation fee is $20 and it is also recommended to have 4-5 members on a team. Teams who are participating will need to bring two crockpots of their queso concoction to be judged by the students, faulty or community members who attend. To just attend the event, and not participate in the competition, it will cost $5 ahead of time or $7 at the door the evening of the event. Team sign-ups will end the day of the event, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. The ZTA ladies will be selling tickets outside of the commons from Oct. 3 and ending on Oct. 9. For more information about Queso for a Cure e-mail Sophia Black at sblack012@drury.edu or ask a member of ZTA.

Black, a sophomore and philanthropy chair of ZTA, is the mastermind behind Queso for a Cure. Black previously organized Big Man on Campus in March, and is now taking the reins of their annual philanthropic event. Black is excited to see Queso for a Cure come together after months of preparation.

“I am just excited for it to happen,” said Black. “I, along with a few other members, have been working really hard for the last few months to put this event on and I am excited to see it all come together. We have made a point to make sure we are incorporating our values into all that we do, but especially philanthropy, and I am so proud to be a part of the team that is working on this.”

Each year ZTA has strived to reach new fundraising goals, including having more teams than the year before. Black is looking forward to breaking records of prior years’ Queso for a Cure and recruiting the most teams the competition has ever seen.

“We would like to have at least 20 teams at the event,” said Black. “Our fundraising goal this semester is around $2,500.”

There are also new aspects of the competition that ZTA has worked hard to make happen at this year’s Queso for a cure.

“This year, Chiptole will be at Queso for a Cure,” said Black. “They are providing their own queso. Also, Taco Bell donated 300 ‘free taco cards’ so we will be passing those out to anyone who attends and participates in the event. We will have a photo booth, raffles and possibly some other quick activities for attendees to do.”

Grab a ticket to Queso for a Cure for a cheesy ole time.