Firefighters across the North Olympic Peninsula are wearing pink this week to raise awareness of breast cancer.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue and Clallam County Fire District 3, which serves Sequim and the eastern part of the county, are wearing pink T-shirts through Thursday, while the Port Angeles Fire Department will be “in the pink” through Friday.
Those three departments have announced they are supporting the Guardians of the Ribbon and their “Care Enough to Wear Pink” breast cancer awareness program by wearing pink T-shirts or pins to work.
Others also may participate in the effort sanctioned by the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, which urged all its members to participate in the campaign to raise awareness for all women who are battling cancer.
“It is important that we as firefighters join together and help lead the way in portraying an image of hope, strength and courage to those women who worry about being alone in their battle for life,” the state council said on its website, www.wscff.org.
Firefighters hope to improve the flow of donations to local cancer organizations as opposed to big national organizations, said William Beezley of East Jefferson Fire-Rescue.
“We’re trying to keep dollars here locally,” Beezley said.
The firefighters’ effort supports the national “Pink Heals” tour begun by Glendale, Ariz., firefighter and former minor league baseball player Dave Graybill, Beezley said.
The “Pink Heals” tour includes firefighters driving pink fire engines to destinations throughout the country.
The fire engines, signed by cancer survivors from all walks of life, have visited more than 1,000 cities in America in 22 months.
The closest they will come to the Peninsula is Arizona, Beezley said.
The engines are decorated now with the signatures of more than 40,000 women who have survived cancer, he said.
For more information, visit www.pinkfiretrucks.org.