Looking back

From hearing about a Fire Department that was wearing pink shirts to support their women who battle cancer, to driving a pink fire truck pulling a $300,000 statue of a ribbon around the Country. All this done in less than a year on a whopping budget of $3,800, NO marketing company, NO sponsors, No PR firm, just the passion to make a difference in a huge way, for so many and for such a small cost. The women of this Country vote yearly on the most respected and admired professions and most of the time Firefighters are at the top of the list. Knowing that and knowing the type of leadership that most Chiefs possess, it was a NO BRAINER when it came to asking our Public Safety to GO PINK in honor of our women. The greatest adjustment to our message was, "We as men in this Country honor our women and at the very least will wear pink in support of their fight against Cancer, all Cancer". I have not had one MAN in a sitting position of leadership say NO, to this calling of support. The great thing about it is, it is shirts and not ribbons or bracelets, it is a uniform commitment to our women by us men that will inspire our women, it will let them know we care, it will let them know we love them and it shows them that we will always be there in their fight against this disease.

The support has been unbelievable, with Police and Fire Departments all over the Country getting involved with this program, Military leaders and even Politicians on both sides of the Aisle are starting to support the program as well. Departments all over the Country are e-mailing us and telling us how great it has been wearing their shirts and how much money they have raised for an organization of their choosing that helps women in their fight against cancer. We are even getting Fire Departments, to take reserve trucks and paint them pink for their own fundraisers. Can you imagine a hundred or more pink fire trucks marching across the Country driven by us MEN, what a site!!! and what a statement that would be for our women. We support all organizations that help our women and we will bring our pink fire trucks to as many events that help our women as possible for FREE, all we ask is that our expenses for driving the truck be helped and that we have the ability to sell our own shirts and apparel when we get there.

I am a firefighter from Glendale Arizona, I wear a blue shirt 365 days a year, I think at the very least we can wear pink shirts to support all our women in their fight against cancer for at least three days. Women, by the way,do represent 50% of the vote and 50% of the population and it's in our nature as men to support our women. I am so lucky that our Chiefs and leaders of this Country did not see the color pink as just support for the fight against breast Cancer, but they saw PINK as support for all our women by us MEN.

Now that I am home we will begin to plan the next tour across the Country, we will call it the "Guardians of the Ribbon on the Pink Heals Tour". If the World was in pink especially by us men, a women who is battling this disease would wake up one morning and know that she is loved and not alone, a family would know that everywhere they turn there is help on the way, "Pink will Heal".

I have a great story to tell, I have met thousands of women and a few men that have been affected by Breast Cancer and Cancer in general. 1/5 of the women on the truck are younger than 30, I have met a lady who drove 90 minutes to put her daughters name on the truck who had a double mastectomy, she just turned 13. The comments by Chiefs and Politicians when they saw the pink fire truck with the thousands of signatures, their stories of hardship going through their own personal struggle and their thoughts on this project. I will write a book about this great event and the support that I have gotten from my own fire department, the support that I have gotten from so many other organizations to help this pink fire truck touch so many lives across the Country. We are blessed to be healthy and we need to start standing up for those that are battling Cancer, I think it will speed up the healing process for so many and maybe inspire someone to find a Cure, once and for all.

These are just a few fire departments that have sent us information on their own fundraising and awareness campaigns for their women.

Just wanted to share our efforts with you. We are wearing special uniform shirtsthis month, and selling them. The profits are going to the American CancerSociety.http://www.iaff2879.org/Capt. Ryan Christen

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