FAIRFAX, VA (January 26, 2012) – Last October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department donned pink shirts to help the American Cancer Society increase awareness of breast cancer. They also sold the pink t-shirts to raise money to fight breast cancer. On Monday, January 30, members of the department will present a check for $2,000 to the Society to advance the battle against breast cancer.
The check presentation is set for 9:30 a.m. at the Fairfax County Fire Station 40, 4621 Legato Roadin Fairfax. Fire Chief Ronald Mastin of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will present the check to Liz Davey, the American Cancer Society’s Vice President for the National Capital Area. The funds were raised by the sale of pink t-shirts by firefighters. Employees within the fire department, and their families and friends, purchased the shirts, including the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, Progressive Firefighters of Fairfax County and United Health Care.
“We are thrilled that members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department have joined with us to fight breast cancer,” Davey says. “By wearing pink shirts as they responded to calls throughout the community last October, fire and rescue personnel made a statement that they were committed to taking action against breast cancer. And by donating funds from the sale of pink shirts to the American Cancer Society, they are helping us continue to fund life-saving research and to support programs that help breast cancer patients cope with the disease.”
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women nationwide. In 2012, the American Cancer Society expects 226,870 women to be diagnosed with breast cancer and 39,510 to die of the disease.
The American Cancer Society’s premier breast cancer awareness event is Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, with Making Strides events taking place every October in communities nationwide, including Washington, D.C.
For further information on the check presentation, contact Bonita Pennino at bonita.pennino@cancer.org.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in Americawho have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.