Connecticut State Firefighters Local S-15 have won the 2023 IAFF Best Pink T-Shirt Contest for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The affiliate was among 106 locals that submitted entries.
The contest, which was open to all U.S. and Canadian affiliates, recognizes the hard work IAFF leaders put into raising awareness and money for cancer charities in their communities each October. S-15 will receive one free registration to the 2024 Affiliate Leadership Training Summit (ALTS) for having the winning entry.
“Congratulations to our S-15 brothers and sisters on this special recognition,” said 3rd District Vice President Jay Colbert. “They did an incredible job raising breast cancer awareness and money for charity. I look forward to seeing them in Florida this January for ALTS.”
This is the 15th year S-15 members have conducted a pink T-shirt campaign. They wore the shirts on duty every day in October and raised more than $1,100 in T-shirt sales for Breast Friends.
“Breast Friends has been our charity of choice in recent years because we appreciate all of the help they have given to the women battling breast cancer in our community, especially our sister, Heidi Vaughn,” said S-15 member Logan Rickis, pink T-shirt campaign co-organizer. “Unfortunately, we lost Heidi in 2019, so this is our way of honoring her memory and giving back.
S-15’s T-shirt design was inspired by other departments which have wrapped a fire truck in pink for the month of October. The shirt shows a pinked-out truck with the local’s name prominently displayed.
