University Heights welcomes Pink Ribbon Tour

The University Heights community came out to support the Pink Ribbon Tour.

The Pink Ribbon Tour made a stop at the UH Fire Department to support breast cancer awareness and research efforts in the local community.

Through the 36-city journey across the country, Pink Ribbon Tour founder Dave Graybill, an Arizona firefighter, is bringing thousands of people together to join the fight against breast cancer. He formed the Guardians of the Ribbon, a group of Arizona-based firefighters, police officers and community leaders who travel the country in a pink fire truck, wearing pink turnout gear and firefighting helmets.

“The Pink Ribbon Tour is for the women of this country and for their fight against breast cancer. The pink fire truck and our pink firefighting gear represent hope and love. The tour shows our commitment to this cause and that we care enough to wear pink,” said Graybill. “We are a male-dominated profession supporting a female-dominated disease. It is in our nature to fight for those who have lost the ability to fight for themselves.”

The UH Fire Department had 19 firefighters, both on-duty and off-duty, in attendance, wearing pink T-shirts.

The department had t-shirts made that they wore and sold to benefit local charities, such as the Gathering Place and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Pink Ribbon Tour also made a stop later in the day at John Carroll University during the Homecoming weekend festivities.

“The goal was not to bring attention to the city but to bring awareness to the people and the local cancer-related charities. People could either help out financially or with their time,” said Lieutenant Keith Kanner.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Fire Department wore their shirts on Oct. 25-27. T-shirts are still available for sale at the University Heights station for $20.

Graybill added, “It is a short time here on this planet, and we need to touch as many lives as possible, so that when it is over, we will have touched lives of people that we have never met.”

John Carroll University sophomore Ashley Bauer is an intern with Patton Public Relations in University Heights.

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Volume 1, Issue 8, Posted 9:38 PM, 10.20.2008