The Newport Beach Fire Department, along with the Newport Beach Firefighters Association, is raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research by wearing uniquely designed pink t-shirts with the slogan “fighting for a cure” as part of the department’s daily uniforms.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this annual campaign is centered around raising awareness and encouraging early detection with the goal of finding a cure for the disease. Pink is associated with breast cancer.
During the month of October, community members may see NBFD personnel around town or while responding to calls with a pop of pink under their safety gear. The NBFD refers to this as Pinktober and the personnel wear it proudly.
While the NBFD personnel have been wearing Pinktober t-shirts for the past several years, they have traditionally been approved to only be worn underneath the uniform shirt. This year, Association President Bobby Salerno wanted to bring more attention to this important cause. He requested authorization from the Fire Chief for personnel to wear the Pinktober shirts in lieu of uniform shirts while on duty.
Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles agreed.
“Our personnel are out in the community every day,” Chief Boyles stated. “In light of the ‘Race for the Cure’ event being canceled this year and the focus being on COVID and wildfires, the Pinktober shirts are a visual reminder for people to take care of their personal health.”
The Association designed and ordered the pink t-shirts for its members to wear. Additional t-shirts were sold to other City of Newport Beach employees, friends and family.
The Association is donating its profits from the t-shirt sales to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
