Mercer Island firefighters will join many across the world in recognizing breast cancer awareness month and raising funds to support a local charity.
The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) calls upon its members every year to help support the annual international awareness campaign throughout the month of October. Many firefighters get creative, competing for the best pink t-shirt design or decorating their fire engines with pink decals. The Mercer Island Fire Department (MIFD) has participated in the past by selling pink T-shirts in a fundraiser, but Lt. Ray Austin, the local IAFF union president, made an effort to do something “more robust” this year.
“This year we really wanted to go all in,” Austin said. “This is the first time we’re going to be able to wear the T-shirts all month… Everybody is behind it, we’ve got a pastel pink shirt with a cool design. They’re a cool-looking shirt.”