Starting this week, saving pink aluminum yogurt lids could contribute to life-saving research.

Pi Lambda Psi, the Washington University Greek women’s health and wellness honorary, will be collecting Yoplait yogurt lids for Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives program. Sophomore Dustin Palmer and freshman John Harrison York will be heading a similar effort for the program.

The Yoplait donation program, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has raised nearly $20 million nationwide for breast cancer research. Yoplait customers are encouraged to save, rinse and place the lids in collection boxes to send back to the company. In return, Yoplait will donate 10 cents for every lid received to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a breast cancer research facility.

Pi Lambda Psi will collect the lids at Whispers Café and Bear’s Den, while Palmer and York will run collection in the Café and Dains Dining Hall in the Danforth University Center, as well as in Hilltop Bakery and Seigle Commons.

Pi Lambda Psi is heading the collection as a way to get the word out about their organization while raising money for breast cancer research.

“We decided to choose breast cancer awareness this month as our main focus [as] a way to get the campus involved and make a larger impact than usual,” Julie Hess, Pi Lambda Psi’s wellness series coordinator, said. “We’re trying to raise awareness about a lot of different health issues that affect women and the campus in general.”

Palmer, on the other hand, started the collection last year as a personal effort to help breast cancer research.

“I did it on my own and collected 40 to 50 [lids] through my friends,” he said. “However, I figured that extending it to the Washington University community would have a much greater effect.”

Although it is a coincidence that the two initiatives are taking place in the same week, Palmer said that it gives them an opportunity to pool resources. Since nearly 6,500 yogurts are sold every month on campus, students have a chance to make a big impact.

“Even a third of the yogurt lids sold on campus would be awesome,” Palmer said.

York is partnering with Palmer to encourage students to become involved in the volunteering process for Save Lids to Save Lives. So far, the program has only been publicized through word of mouth. Aside from attracting volunteers, York is also the “keeper of the lids.”

“My grandmother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s. That’s always been a big part of my mom’s life and, accordingly, through mine,” York said. “My mom was really happy to hear that I was collecting, especially since this issue is so close to her.”

The effort to help fight against cancer is widely spread throughout campus; Relay for Life will also be offering volunteers to help with lid collection.

“We are so happy to see other people making efforts to make cancer research and funding a top priority,” senior Rebecca Katz, co-chair of Relay for Life, said. “We applaud their efforts, and we’re happy to assist them.”

Another contributor has been Dining Services, which is providing the containers for the lids, as well as providing marketing help. Nadeem Siddiqui, the University’s resident district manager for Dining Services, said he was not surprised by the students’ motivation and eagerness when they approached him for assistance with the program.

“This kind of action is typical among Wash. U. students,” Siddiqui said. “Even so, [Palmer’s] initiative was really impressive to me.”

Collecting donation money through food is nothing new to Siddiqui, who has worked with Stanford University and University of Chicago to hold homeless shelter dinners each year.

“We have a lot of opportunities to partner with students, and I’m always eager to take advantage of that,” Siddiqui said.

In addition to helping raise money, Hess hopes this will draw more people to her honorary.

“We typically only reach the Greek community,” she said. “The fact that we’re getting out on the [South] 40 and on main campus to anyone who eats yogurt will hopefully get [our] name out.”

York, who personally recommends the mixed berry Yoplait yogurt, said, “I didn’t even eat yogurt before, but now that this has begun, I’m eating yogurt every day.”