Carpentersville, IL Local 4790 fire fighters have launched a special T-shirt design celebrating both Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep. 15 – Oct. 15) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. This one-of-a-kind design uses art to connect community and culture while also raising funds for important causes.
Art Carrillo, Local 4790 vice president, explains the motivation behind the new design.
“We wanted to blend our ongoing tradition of celebrating Hispanic Heritage with our breast cancer awareness campaign,” he said. “The design features La Catrina, which is a female version of the traditional skull, a nod to both our Hispanic roots and our commitment to breast cancer awareness.”
Tony Ferreiro, a member of Local 4790, says the passion project was a part of a collaborative effort.
“We’ve been doing Bombero t-shirts for Hispanic Heritage Month for a couple of years now. They’ve been very popular, and we’ve used the proceeds to support local charities like the Boys and Girls Club of Carpentersville. We realized that our breast cancer campaign was competing for attention and funds with our Hispanic Heritage shirts, so we combined them into one design this year to maximize both our support for breast cancer research and our celebration of Hispanic culture,” Ferreiro said.
Ferreiro and Carrillo said the union reached out to the community for feedback on the new design. “We had a lot of requests for a women’s version of our shirts, which hadn’t been on our radar until several women suggested it,” said Ferreiro. “We took their advice to heart and integrated it into our new design, ensuring it was tasteful and respectful.”
We realized that our breast cancer campaign was competing for attention and funds with our Hispanic Heritage shirts, so we combined them into one design this year to maximize both our support for breast cancer research and our celebration of Hispanic culture.
Tony ferreiro, local 4790 member
The new shirts feature words like “familia” (family) and “orgullo” (pride), reflecting the values central to both the Hispanic culture and the fire service. They also incorporate elements that symbolize faith and hope to represent breast cancer survivors.
“We’re very proud of this year’s design and the positive impact it’s having. It’s a perfect blend of celebrating our heritage and supporting an important cause,” said Carrillo. “We’re grateful for the community’s support and excited about what’s to come.”
Carillo says the community support includes a partnership with a local grocery store, which has agreed to let its employees wear the T-shirts every Friday throughout October. Local 4790 members also wear the T-shirts while on duty during the same month to help promote the cause.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see community members wearing our shirts at various events. It reinforces the sense of pride and unity we’re striving to build. Their families wear it, their kids, their wives, everyone. When we have events, we see people wearing it throughout the community,” Carrillo said.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see community members wearing our shirts at various events. It reinforces the sense of pride and unity we’re striving to build.
Art carillo, local 4790 vice president
Although this year’s fundraiser has closed to ensure all T-shirts are shipped by Oct. 1, Ferreiro mentioned resuming it is still a possibility. “If the demand persists, we might reopen the store to accommodate more orders,” he said.
The proceeds from the T-shirt fundraiser will also benefit Sherman Hospital’s Breast Cancer Center.
To highlight the efforts of Locals like Carpentersville, the IAFF hosts an annual Best Pink T-shirt Design Contest, open to all affiliates in the U.S. and Canada. This contest showcases the creativity and collaboration of our members in supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The winning affiliate receives one free registration to the Affiliate Leadership Training Summit in January 2025.
Stay tuned to the IAFF website and social media for more details about the contest!
UPDATE: Local 4790’s store has since been reopened. To purchase T-shirts, visit the website here.
