Yah, and I can imagine you are sooooooooooooooooooo good at making people smile! It seems like a waste of money for departments to but pink helmets to help raise money.
I am praying that your wife or any family member or friend never has to deal with breast cancer.
While I don't necessarily agree with seeing pink helmets on a fire ground,thats just my opinion. I am all for whatever it takes to raise money to beat breast cancer. Whatever it takes!
SAVE THE BOOBS!!!
I bet you a cup of coffee that if the tour came by your station, and by tour, I mean the Breast Cancer Awareness tour... so imagine seeing these folks pull up in front of your station...
and then you have some people come up to you and ask if they can sign the fire truck...
and after reading this...
you still wouldn't donn a pink helmet?
I bet you would WP... you've got too big a heart to say no.
It seems like a waste of money for departments to buy pink helmets to help raise money. so, the department takes in $1000.. spent 800 on pink helmets and donated 200?
I have to agree with Phil here. If we are talking about NFPA compliant pink helmets, I see the only real winners being the manufacturer and the dealer. $215 is quite a bit of money for something to basically be an advertising piece, you are not really seeing these used on the fireground. I can understand a pink T-shirt and ribbon etc to help raise awareness, but I don't agree with a helmet. I see it better to take the money to purchase these helmets and make a donation to cancer research or patients, vs the manufacturer and dealer.
And for the record, my mother in law died from breast cancer and I support efforts out there for this and other causes, I just don't think the purchasing of a gimmick helmet is the best approach. As mentioned breast cancer is just one cause to get involved with, our dept follwed others in doing Red Shirt Fridays to support the troops, we collect for MDA (the sponsor charity of the IAFF), there was stuff done for Make a Wish, CP, and so forth. I can't see the spending of $215 for a gimmick just for one cause, when there is so much many of us do for all sorts of causes.
Breast cancer has showed its face in my family. Had an aunt who struggled with it. She is not longer with us today. My sister and mother get checked regularly and had some scares, but thank god was just that. Breast Cancer has touched our family in the worst way. Tho, I doubt I would wear the helmet on the fireground, I would and probably will purchase one to wear at trainings sometimes or just have to show my support and give awareness. Its not about being a MAN, its about helping a cause.. We all need to do our part to help. So wear pink!
OK Boys here is my own experiance with the pink helmet. I have one and I wear it to every call we run. Now having said that here is a brief backround, I am a cancer survior, both of my parents have had cancer, I paid for my helmet out of my own pocket and cleared it with my chain of command first. My helmet meets all regs and the only difference from a black, yellow, red, etc is the final paint job. I have worn it to may a call so no its not as "pretty" as you may think. To each his own but I have had no problems on a fire ground, from my dept. or any others we have run mutal aid calls with.