ShawneeDispatch.com

Shawnee firefighters this month will show they not only save lives in emergencies; they also are dedicated to saving the lives of those diagnosed with cancer.

Firefighters will sport a bit of pink while on duty to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, most wearing T-shirts with a pink ribbon on the front and the word “fire” surrounded in pink on the back and a pink ribbon for the “i.” The shirts also are for sale to the general community to raise funds for Victory Junction, the children’s cancer camp that is planned to open in Wyandotte County in two to three years.

Firefighter Duffy Muehlberger organized the production of the shirts, explaining the effort was an extension of the Flamin’ Hotties, the group of firefighters’ wives who first formed in 2005 to create a team for the Shawnee/Lenexa Relay For Life, which raises funds for cancer research.

“It’s the work that the Flamin’ Hotties have done; every year they raise a lot of money for the American Cancer Society,” he said.

The women were inspired by Charlene Hartley, breast cancer survivor and wife of former Shawnee Fire Chief Buck Hartley. They have raised more than $55,000 since then for cancer-related organizations, with lots of support from their firefighter husbands along the way.

Muehlberger said creating the T-shirts was also inspired by the Pink Heals Tour, an all-pink fire truck that tours the country raising support for Breast Cancer Awareness and encourages fire departments across the country to do the same. The truck stopped last year in Shawnee, and the Flamin’ Hotties helped organize events for its stop at The Legends shopping center in Kansas City, Kan., this year to raise funds for Providence Women’s Center.

The firefighters got permission from city officials to wear the shirts instead of their usual uniform shirts, and a donation from a local business provided one shirt for every Shawnee firefighter. Firefighters used their own funds to purchase additional shirts, selling them for a slightly higher cost to give the profits to Victory Junction.

So far they have sold 498 shirts, raising $2,000. More shirts will be ordered later this week, and anyone interested can stop by the Shawnee Fire Department headquarters at 65th Street and Quivira Road to pick up an order form.

Shawnee Mayor Jeff Meyers recognized the efforts of the firefighters and Flamin’ Hotties at Monday’s Council meeting and read a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We’re just hoping through our efforts we can raise awareness amongst the city, amongst the community, and raise funds for a disease that takes too much,” said Angela Epperson, a member of the Flamin’ Hotties.

Shawnee firefighters also are spreading the word to other area fire departments.

“I think this time next year you’ll see a lot of cities in the county doing something like this,” Muehlberger said. “Now that we’ve started this we’re hoping it’s going to be a long, long tradition.”

Comments