In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Phi Iota Alpha fraternity is sponsoring “ELLA: Education Life Long Awareness,” a program to educate Latino women about the effects of the disease.

The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. today in 103A and 103B Kellogg Center.

Claudio Juarez, president of Phi Iota Alpha, said the main focus of the program is awareness.

“We are about the empowerment of the Latino community,” the marketing senior said. “We want Latino women to become aware. Some minorities don’t want to go out and get checked. They are scared of what the results are.

“We feel if we have minority women there speaking, they will be more encouraged to go.”

There will be a doctor from Sparrow Health System on hand, remarks from two Latino women who have survived breast cancer and information on how to detect the disease.

Teddy bears embossed with the program’s name - a logo created by the fraternity to promote breast cancer awareness for Latinos - will be available for purchase to raise money for the Cristo Rey Community Center’s Breast Cancer Program.

The event also being sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, Ingham Regional Medical Center, Sparrow Health System and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program in Lansing.

Carlos Ruiz, a member of Phi Iota Alpha, said he is optimistic about the event.

“It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, so it went along with the time and date,” the general management sophomore said.

Misty Staunton, co-chair of Culturas de las Razas Unidas, will attend the event to volunteer with her organization, which promotes the Latino culture. Staunton, a pre-med sophomore, said educating Latino women is a crucial part of understanding breast cancer.

“It affects all women, of all colors and ages,” she said. “It’s very important that people come and learn cultural awareness and health for minority women.”