The West Nipissing Fire and Emergency Service (WNFS) will not hold its annual “Pink T-shirt Campaign” this year.
The campaign, which has raised many thousands for the West Nipissing General Hospital through its t-shirts, has been put on hold due to COVID-19.
The WNFS does encourage people who have bought shirts in the past to continue to wear them on Fridays throughout October, continuing to raise awareness and show support through the community.
“I was very grateful for the opportunity to discuss the Pink T-shirt fundraiser challenges this year with the West Nipissing Fire service,” said WNGH CEO Cynthia Desormiers. “This was a very difficult decision to make as both the WN Fire Service and the hospital know how valuable this event is for everyone in the community. Raising awareness for breast cancer and pink t-shirts started many years ago with firefighter Mike Dionne and has grown enormously over the past years with firefighters Vianny and Pascal Morin. Breast cancer, as we know, has affected everyone either personally, our family members, and or our friends.”
Over the years the funds raised have purchased equipment for the hospital’s mammography department and have resulted in a private change room and a washroom for the mammography patients.
Desormier says that the pink T-shirt campaign has allowed our mammography department to have the latest and greatest equipment.
For nearly a decade West Nipissing has proudly worn its pink throughout October and this year the West Nipissing General Hospital is giving residents the opportunity to continue doing just that.
“While brainstorming about the loss of this campaign for 2020, administrative assistant Amylee Laforest suggested pink masks which keeps the pink t-shirt spirit alive while recognizing COVID-19,” said Desormiers. “By no means is this meant to replace the Pink T-shirts campaign, as healthcare providers we recognize the need to pause this year due to social distancing and the required public health measures. We certainly look forward to next year’s pink t-shirt campaign. We would also like to thank everyone who orders and wears a pink mask for the month of October in support of breast cancer awareness month.”
The hospital’s pink masks are $8, and if anyone would like to purchase a mask(s) they are asked to contact the Hospital Foundation at (705) 753-3110 x 316
Desormier shares that the funds raised this year with the sale of the pink masks will be put towards the hospital’s CT scanner. She says the CT scanner is on target and set to be operational by the end of October 2020.
“The month of October for many years has meant ‘wearing pink t-shirts on Friday in West Nipissing’. The pink t-shirt campaign has enhanced breast cancer awareness and has created a fun, collaborative, and community fundraising event,” she finished