August 17, 2011 - NORTH ROSE - The goal of any fire department is to find survivors, not victims. They train long hours for just the possibility of saving one life. On Saturday, the North Rose Fire Department invited over a dozen to walk with them!

“The whole idea started as a challenge to see how many firefighters would buy and wear pink shirts in public,” said EMS Captain Norma Eidman. “Everyone decided to buy pink ‘Firefighters Walking for a Cure’ T-shirts.” Family members bought some as well. The next question was when to wear them?

The whole department decided to wear them in the Clyde parade. It soon evolved into a family event. Second Assistant Chief Mark Anthony suggested searching for local survivors to see if they would like to join the walk.
Thirteen cancer survivors did join the parade, representing a far larger number in our community. Some walked while others rode on a homemade float. All proudly wore a pink T-shirt, as did the firefighters and family members.

You could see the pink coming from miles away, sandwiched in between the traditional disciplined ranks of blue-clad firemen and red fire trucks. In contrast, the decidedly non-traditional group ranged from three months to ninety years old. They far outnumbered any other agency in attendance.

Donations collected at this event are going to the Clifton Springs Cancer Center.  Anyone interested in donating to “Firefighters Walking for a Cure” can still donate. Contact Norma Eidman at (315) 879-1002 or any North Rose Fire Chief for more information.

The North Rose Fire Department would like to thank everyone for their support. Due to the overwhelming public response, the North Rose Fire Department has decided to designate one parade each year as a “non-compete” event, where they will “walk” for a cure instead of “march” for prizes. They refuse to say in advance which parade it will be next year, so you’ll have to check their website for further information. www.northrosefire.com