LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2011) — Pink was the uniform of the month this October for IAFF members throughout the United States and Canada as hundreds of IAFF affiliates conducted breast cancer awareness campaigns, trading blue duty shirts for pink in support of women in the fight against all cancers.
The IAFF invited affiliates to enter their pink T-shirt designs in the “Best Pink Campaign T-shirt Design Contest.” More than 75 affiliates submitted entries, and the winning T-shirt design was from Frederick County, MD Local 3666, with 2,216 votes. Voting took place between November 1 and November 10.
In addition to bragging rights, Local 3666 wins a free registration to the 2012 Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, January 24-26.
Frederick County Local 3666 was in close competition with Montgomery County, MD Local 1664, which was just a few votes shy of claiming the prize. In a friendly challenge in the fight for first place presented on Facebook, Local 3666 President John Neary and Local 1664 President John Sparks agreed that the losing president (or his designee) will wear the winning president’s pink T-shirt and a pink tutu during a 2012 Susan G. Komen event of their choosing.
For years, many IAFF affiliates have conducted campaigns in support of local or national organizations to raise awareness about breast cancer, and in 2010, delegates at the IAFF Convention passed a resolution that calls on fire fighters to support breast cancer awareness and fundraising. To support IAFF affiliates, the IAFF provided tools, resources and activities designed to help affiliates in these efforts, including a “Passionately Pink for the Cure” program in conjunction with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help IAFF affiliates supporting Komen in their own communities and events. All donations collected online in connection with the IAFF Passionately Pink campaign will be shared equally by the IAFF Charitable Foundation (for IAFF members and their dependents battling cancer) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Look for the November-December issue of the International Fire Fighter for highlights from breast cancer awareness efforts by IAFF affiliates across North America.