Shrewsbury Firefighters Don Pink T-Shirts for October

The Shrewsbury Fire Department is fighting more than just fires in the month of October thanks to an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness.

Fire Department personnel have replaced their usual uniform with T-shirts featuring the agency’s logo with a pink ribbon through it on the front and the words “Shrewsbury Fire Supports the Cure” in pink lettering on the back. The shirts will be in use until the end of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“It’s a way of sharing our support for those (who have been impacted by breast cancer),” Fire Chief Bill Fox said, adding that it is a more personal mission as well. “A few of our firefighters have some cancer in their families.”

The Shrewsbury crew is also selling similar T-shirts to family and friends to help raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Fox said it’s the fire department’s first time participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“It started out in the St. Charles area last year with the Wentzville firefighters,” Fox explained. “They even have a pink fire truck, an old reserve one.”

Fox said it has spread across the whole area with many fire departments in the St. Louis metro area participating. He was approached by several of his crew about participating this year.

“We had some money available, so we said, let’s do this,” Fox said.  

The cash for the T-shirts is being supplied by the firefighters through what Fox called their “flower fund.” Typically, it’s used to buy flowers to give to family members of fellow firefighters that are in the hospital.