Crittenton Helps Fullerton Firefighters Raise Funds for Cancer Awareness and Treatment
Fullerton Fire Department is currently coordinating the 3rd Annual Pinktober Event to help raise funding for cancer awareness and treatment throughout the month of October.
This year’s theme is, “Let’s Extinguish Cancer with Fullerton Fire”, which is proudly displayed on pink t-shirts that the fire department is selling as a means to raise funds for a designated charity or organization that the city’s firefighters are working with this year.
“When we found out the Fullerton Fire Department was leading this cancer fighting fundraiser we felt compelled to help,” said Martha Jasso, Director of Communications, Crittenton Services for Children and Families (CSCF), “For a number of our employees the fight against any form of cancer is something that we have had to face in our lifetimes. So, the employees of our entire agency, including those from our Los Angeles county field offices, enthusiastically joined the cause.”
Last year, the Fullerton Firefighters Association endorsed a local city of Fullerton resident and cancer survivor, Caitlin Lyle, who had recently graduated from Troy High School of Fullerton, Calif. and had been diagnosed with leukemia. Fullerton Fire Department was able to raise more than $20,000 and all proceeds were given to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of Caitlin.
This year the Fullerton Fire Department has endorsed the cause of Dorey Madrid, a Fullerton High School Teacher, who is battling cancer. Funds raised this year will go to Dorey’s cause and donated to St. Jude Crosson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Cancer does not discriminate and anyone can, at any point in their life, be diagnosed with some form of cancer,” said Captain Pete Gray of the Fullerton Fire Department, “We at the Fullerton Fire Department stand by those that are currently battling cancer, those that are survivors, and those who have cared for loved ones impacted by a cancer diagnosis. As first responders it’s in our nature to want to help those that are in need of assistance. We feel that coordinating a yearly cancer awareness fundraiser is just another extension of something we are trained to do – helping people.”
Fullerton firefighters anticipate this year’s fundraising extravaganza being bigger than last year’s with meet and greets being planned throughout the city.
In fact, the Fullerton Fire Department made a special pit stop at Crittenton’s Residential Treatment Center as a gesture of gratitude for this year’s partnership. The fire department’s pink vinyl wrapped fire truck made an appearance and Crittenton employees were given the opportunity to sign the truck in honor of anyone whose life has been impacted by cancer.
As an added bonus some of Crittenton’s youth were able to greet the firefighters in attendance and were appreciative of the visit as they were eagerly preparing for a weekend bake sale to help with this local fundraising effort.
“So many of the teenage girls placed in our care resonated with what Captain Pete Gray of the Fullerton Fire Department had to say during the Pinktober event presentation and after explaining the mission behind the yearly campaign,” said Alex Genah, Lead Recreational Coordinator, CSCF Residential Treatment Center, ”In particular our girls empathized with the story of the local teenage cancer survivor and the primary reason why the Fullerton Fire Department started this fundraising effort to begin with. Our girls took home the important message that cancer can happen to anyone including teenagers.”
Crittenton held its own awareness activities this month called the “Think Pink Cancer Awareness Week”, which ran from October 12 to October 18. The cancer awareness week started with a silent walk around the Fullerton community wearing something pink in order to show a sign of support in the fight against breast cancer and culminating in a open dialogue between employees and Crittenton youth regarding any experiences they’ve had in the fight against cancer.
By mid October Crittenton employees were able to raise more than $1,000 for the Fullerton Fire Department’s Pinktober Event from both the shirt sales and the Crittenton youth coordinated bake sale.
For those interested in helping the Fullerton Fire Department with this year’s Pinktober Event the shirts are still on sale. Although please know that time is running out as all sales or generous donations are being taken until October 31, 2014.
For more information on the Fullerton Fire Department’s Pinktober fundraiser and how you can help feel free to visit their website at www.ffdpinkproject.org.
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Crittenton Services for Children and Families of Southern California (CSCF) is a non-profit social services agency whose mission is to heal the wounds of abuse and neglect; strengthen families; and help troubled adolescents reach their full potential. Established and incorporated in 1966 Crittenton has a highly trained workforce operating 24 hours a day / 7 days a week providing comprehensive counseling, medical, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of residential, in-home, community based, wraparound, mental health, foster care, and adoption services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.
Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn more about our programs and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.