Firefighters Announce Cancer Awareness and Fundraising Initiative

COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Career Firefighters launched a campaign to raise both awareness and funding for breast cancer. The initiative’s member organizations include: Ocean City FMBA Local 27, North Wildwood FMBA Local 56, Wildwood FMBA Local 50, and Cape May IAFF Local 3495. Firefighters from these organizations provide professional fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to their local municipalities.
The American Cancer Society estimates that a total of 232,340 women will be diagnosed with new cases of invasive breast cancer and about 39,620 women will die from breast cancer in the United States in 2013. Unfortunately, women in New Jersey experience breast cancer at a higher rate than women in many other states. Too many firefighters in the Cape May County Career Firefighters’ member organizations have friends and loved ones affected by this disease. Always prepared to serve in any way possible, the career firefighters of Cape May County rallied to help fight breast cancer and formed a coalition to help fight for a cure. To symbolize their commitment to the cause, firefighters adopted the slogan, “Jersey Shore, Fightin’ for a Cure.”
As an awareness initiative, municipal fire chiefs in Ocean City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Cape May approved fire department employees to wear pink fire department-themed t-shirts during the entire month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In an attempt to raise funds and help spread the message and awareness initiative, these t-shirts will also be available for sale to the public. One hundred percent of the profit from t-shirt sales will be donated to Survivors of Cancer, a local non-profit organization that aids and assists in the fight against the devastating disease of cancer. All monies collected by Survivors of Cancer is used to aid local cancer patients and survivors and support other organizations dedicated to the same goals.
T-shirts are available in sizes from Adult Small to 3XL in exchange for a $20 donation. Shirts are available at the following locations:
• OCFD Headquarters – 550 Asbury Ave., Ocean City
• NWFD Headquarters – 400A. New Jersey Avenue, North Wildwood
• WFD Headquarters – 4400 New Jersey Avenue, Wildwood
• CMFD Station-51 – 712 Franklin Street, Cape May
• On-Line at www.northwildwoodfire.org or http://www.wildwoodfmba50.com
Personnel from member organizations will also be present to sell the shirts at the following community events:
• Oct. 5 – Oktoberfest Cape May at Jackson Street in Cape May from 8:00 a.m – 5 p.m.
• Oct. 5 – Wildwood Seafood Festival Atlantic Ave between Wildwood and Schellenger Aves., from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Oct. 12 – Ocean City Fall Block Party, 5th to 14th Streets on Asbury Ave. from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Oct. 12 and 13 – Wildwood Crest Hydrofest on Sunset Lake from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Oct. 18, 19, 20 – Oktoberfest Lower Township at the Cape May County Airport, sponsored by Townbank Volunteer Fire Department, from open until close
• Oct. 19– Fabulous Fifties – Wildwood’s Fox Park, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Career Firefighters of Cape May County will also hold a “Jersey Shore Fightin’ for the Cure Kickoff Event” for the public and the press featuring organization representatives and guest speakers on Oct. 7, 10 a.m. at Wildwood Fire Department Headquarters, 4400 New Jersey Ave., Wildwood. Light refreshments will be served and t-shirts will be available for sale.