Real Men Wear Pink: Firefighters Fundraise for Cancer

It's not often you see 13 men together wearing pink. But the members of the Ridgewood Fire Department joined a national movement Friday, donning the color to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

"We're raising awareness for cancers – not just breast cancer – but all cancers," Firefighter Harvey Weber said from Fire Headquarters. "Firefighters have an 80 percent chance of getting any type of cancer. It's much higher than most professions."

The hoods they were can contain a carcenogen if not properly washed, he said, adding that thyroid cancer is also common among firefighters.

There's another component to Friday's statement, he said.

"And a lot of us have family – wives, mothers, daughters who have had breast cancer," Weber said. "It's an initiative that's done across the country and we just wanted to be part of it."

The group sold 150 t-shirts as of early Friday afternoon and hope to sell out, raising $2,500 in the process. The money raised will be donated to the local Susan G. Komen for the Cure chapter.

"The guys have really took it on and it's doing well. This was organized by the union [FMBLA Local #47] and we wanted to make sure we give back to the community."

Weber thanked Village Manager Ken Gabbert for allowing the day of support on Friday. 

To order a shirt, e-mail the FMBLA #47 at Ridgewoodfirefighters@fmbalocal47.org. T-shirts are $20-22 per shirt. They can also be purchased at Fire Headquarters at 201 E. Glen Avenue.

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