Thursday, January 10, 2013
Firefighters Contribute Funds To After Breast Cancer Program
Members of the Lawrenceburg Fire Department who worked diligently on a fundraiser throughout the months of September, October and into November, recently presented a sizeable donation to the After Breast Cancer Program at Columbia’s YMCA.
For the second year, firefighters donned T-shirts in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, recognized annually in October. The shirts were such a hit the first year that they opted to turn the annual observance into a fundraising event.
Orders for T-shirts were taken at the stations, and the group had great success in sales during the Middle Tennessee District Fair.
Sixty percent of the profits were earmarked for the breast cancer program and twenty percent for the department’s on-going fire awareness educational programs.
The remaining twenty percent was placed into a fund designated for providing assistance to area residents. Assistant Fire Chief Jay Moore said that a portion of these funds were used in December to assist a fellow firefighter in neighboring Maury County after his home was lost to fire.
Emergency and hospital personnel took an impromptu collection just prior to Christmas to buy clothing for a Texas family rescued after their car crashed into Shoal Creek. Having these funds on-hand will allow the department to provide this type of personal assistance whenever the need arises.
The YMCA After Breast Cancer program, created in 1999, is a sixteen-week program that provides breast cancer patients and survivors with health and wellness services as well as emotional support.
Key components of the program include: pairing survivors with a physical therapist and a nutritionist to assist with post-treatment recovery; assignment of a Pink Ribbon Certified Personal Trainer to develop a customized exercise program; four visits with a registered dietician; two eight-week counseling sessions with Restore Counseling program; full access to all of the YMCA facility work out equipment.
The Columbia program, which is the closest in proximity to Lawrence County, is made available to participants free of charge. Several local residents are currently enrolled. Moore said that in December the department presented program officials with a check for $5,924.48.
The department plans to make the fundraiser an on-going project with a different T-shirt design each year. Moore credited much of the event’s success to Phil Hooper who, as a contribution, made and provided the shirts at a significant discount, allowing costs to be held to a minimum.
