October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so the Seymour Fire Department’s Citizens’ Engine Co. #2 designed and sold custom T‑shirts honoring the cause.
With breast cancer affecting many families of many of Citizens’ members, it was an effort fully supported by the all-volunteer fire company that has been serving the Town of Seymour for 130 years.
Fire, police, and EMS departments across the country have “gone pink” in support of breast cancer awareness and research. One longtime Citizens’ member felt it was time the Company followed suit.
Randy Lewis, a 40-year veteran of Citizens’ and a cancer survivor himself, saw the opportunity to raise money for the company as well as for Seymour Pink, the breast cancer awareness and support fundraising juggernaut started by Seymour resident Mary Deming.
The black T‑shirts featured the Citizens’ Engine Co. #2 logo outlined in pink on the front and “Seymour Fire Department” in pink lettering on the back, with the well-known breast cancer awareness pink ribbon as the letter “I” in the word “FIRE.”
Advertised throughout the fire department and marketed online through Citizens’ Facebook page, Lewis quickly sold more than 100 shirts in less than three weeks.
An additional order of shirts was placed and sold at the firehouse during Seymour’s annual Smoke in the Valley beer and chili fest on Oct. 4.
A portion of the proceeds from the T‑shirt sales was donated to Seymour Pink at a ceremony on Wednesday, October 8, at the Citizens’ Engine Co. #2 headquarters on DeForest Street in Seymour.
