As a female firefighter and paramedic, Erin Richardson has seen a high number of female colleagues face a breast cancer diagnosis.
Fundraising for the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma meant an additional way to give back to the community outside of her work.
“It’s just part of having the opportunity to give back,” she said. “It comes without question.”
She and other firefighters on the Benevolent Committee for East Pierce Fire and Rescue spent the month of October selling bracelets to raise money for the Carol Milgard Breast Center. The fundraising crew was recently honored with the Why I Pink Award, a photo contest sponsored by Opes Advisors.
Richardson headed up the fundraising efforts, selling bracelets for $5, with donations going toward preventative screenings for those with a high risk factor for breast cancer who are not covered by insurance.
Last year, Richardson and others took the year off from fundraising during Breast Cancer awareness month, but she brought it back.
“I thought we would lose touch with our community if we stopped doing the fundraiser,” she said.
In the past, firefighters sold pink T-shirts as their fundraiser, but this year the committee decided to sell bracelets with Hope, Strength and Love inscribed onto them. This allowed a bigger profit, allowing to give a bigger donation, Richardson says.
In total, the committee raised $643 for the cancer center.