They wear pink to support fight against breast cancer

Do not adjust your eyes, members of the Willimantic Fire Department are indeed wearing pink shirts.

While it may look like a red sock might have dropped in with a load of white laundry, Willimantic Fire Department members are wearing them for a good cause - breast cancer awareness.

Willimantic Fire Capt. Scott Card said the pink shirts are for breast cancer awareness and he came up with the idea from the national movement of wearing red shirts to show support for the troops.

“It’s been great,” Card said, adding that virtually everybody at the firehouse has been on board with wearing the pink shirts. “I think they think it’s kind of cool.”

Wearing the pink shirts also hits close to home for Card, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor.

Whereas firefighters have to be brave to fight fires, Card said people have to be “pretty brave to battle breast cancer.”

The 73 shirts were made by J&D Embroidery of Baltic.

Firefighters are wearing them on all Fridays during the month of December and department officials said they will wear them again when the weather is warmer and during October - which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Firefighters had to purchase the shirts with the proceeds of $300 from the shirt sale going to the Susan G. Komen foundation, which fights breast cancer.

Card said Willimantic firefighters might be setting a trend, as other departments have taken notice of them and have inquired about how to get them.

He said many firefighters know someone or have family members who have been affected by cancer in some way.

The shirts are short-sleeve T-shirts, though they are available in long sleeves as well.

They have an embroidered pink ribbon on the sleeve and are emblazoned with a seal on the front that says Willimantic Station 1 L-1033 with the letters “F” and “D” written on the side.

“At first I was wondering if people would be interested,” said Dan Garrett, a Willimantic firefighter, but added that it seems as if everybody is on board with donning the pink shirts. “I was on board with it right away.”

Garrett said his grandmother passed away due to cancer and there’s 100 percent participation by firefighters.

“It’s certainly a worthy cause,” he said, adding it is also a sign of solidarity.
Garrett added a firefighter’s job is to help people and doing additional things - wearing pink shirts or organizing a can drive - adds to their “fulfillment.”

“I thought it was an excellent idea,” said Willimantic Fire Chief Ronald Palmer Sr., when the idea was first proposed to him by Card.

“This is another cause that we’ve taken up,” Palmer said, adding firefighters also participate in the Labor Day “fill the boot” campaign which supports the fight against muscular dystrophy.

“I think this will catch on,” Palmer said, adding the Willimantic Police Department has expressed interest along with other organizations.