SWAMPSCOTT — The Fire Department launched a fundraiser Friday to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month and benefit the Ellie Fund.
All seven members of the Swampscott Fire Department, who worked on Friday morning, wore light pink T-shirts and hot pink face masks to work.
“There aren’t many people who don’t at least know someone who has been affected by breast cancer or similar form of cancer, ourselves included,” said Fire Chief Graham Archer. “This is a great way to engage with the community and support a very worthwhile cause.”
This is the first year the fire department is doing this fundraiser. They knew they wanted to donate to some organization associated with breast cancer, said Archer. After giving it some thought, the fire department chose a local Massachusetts organization.
Research work is very important, said Archer, but they have chosen an organization that helps affected people in different ways to deal with treatment. All of the proceeds will go to the Ellie Fund For Breast Cancer.
The Ellie Fund provides material support to breast cancer patients, such as child care reimbursement vouchers, rides to treatment, shopping assistance and groceries reimbursement vouchers.
To raise funds, the fire department came up with the designs for two types of shirts: light pink short-sleeve T-shirts that sell for $20 and long-sleeve grey T-shirts with a pink logo on them that are priced at $25. The pink shirts have a small “Big Blue” logo — the nickname of the blue Engine 21 — on the front and a phrase that reads “Fighting more than fires. Lets extinguish breast cancer” on the back, circling over two crossed fire-fighting axes and a water hose bent like a pink ribbon that traditionally symbolizes breast-cancer awareness.
“I said, ‘I’d wear them in a second,’” said Firefighter Sean McGovern about the pink shirts. “It is striking, I suppose. It kinda grabs attention.”
The shirts can be purchased at the firehouse at 76 Burrill St., at the customer service desk at Town Hall, and at the farmers market every Sunday throughout the month of October.
The department has also printed informational fliers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about breast cancer that they will give out with the shirts.
Firefighter Mike Salsgiver helped design the T-shirts.
Archer said that Allie Fiske, the town’s director of communications, also was a big help with the campaign, messaging, social media, and designing the shirts and a pink graphic that went on the sides of Engine 21. The sticker says “Fighting more than fires” and was made by Accurate Graphics in Lynn.
“The department is very active in the community,” said McGovern. “A lot of kids look up to us as role models and for us to promote something that can better the world is beneficial for us. To give back to the community the same way they support us.”
