Code 3 for a Cure Remembers 68 Fire Fighters Lost to Cancer

April 21, 2011 – The Code 3 for a Cure Foundation has wrapped up its 2011 fire fighter cancer education tour in Los Angeles. The Foundation’s tour began in Wichita, Kansas, and stopped at more than 62 firehouses over a five-week period.

Over the course of the tour, the Foundation – supported by active and retired fire fighters –conducted cancer awareness presentations to their fellow fire fighters and collected names of fire fighters who had lost their battles with cancer. When the tour reached Los Angeles, a ceremonial bell rang for each of the 68 fire fighter names collected.

Foundation President and Founder Lorenzo Abundiz is a retired California fire fighter and three-time cancer survivor. “We held our tour earlier this year because we were hoping that one of our biggest supporters, Waukegan, IL Local 473 member Kevin Oldham, could make the trip with us,” says Abundiz. Unfortunately, Oldham succumbed to pancreatic cancer before the trip began.

He adds, “But despite Oldham’s sad absence, we were able to provide an impressive amount of cancer education this year and honored 68 who were taken from us too soon.”

Abundiz founded the Code 3 for a Cure Foundation three-and-a-half years ago after surviving cancer three times. Thankful for his victory over cancer, he wanted to give back. “My hope is that fire fighters can learn from my and other cancer survivors’ experience,” he says. “That is our goal for the tours.”

The retired fire fighter also hopes to expand the Foundation’s mission to include financial relief for fire fighters suffering from cancer.