Officer Brett McIntire sold a pink police patch to Amanda Desmond. Photo contributed by Deputy Chief Michelle Small.
Bath police will be adorned with splashes of pink as they raise donations toward breast cancer research in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Officers will be wearing pink police badges, selling pink patches with their logo, and some will even dye their hair pink if the fundraiser brings in enough money.
“I look forward to meeting our fundraising goal of $3,000 and turning our PD pink for the cause; beginning first with me, and then Officer McIntire,” said Deputy Chief Michelle Small. “K9 Sampson has also expressed some interest in rocking some pink hair.”
So far, less than a week into the month, the department has raised over $1,300 for the Susan G. Komen Organization — a world leader in breast cancer research.
“We are a very community-driven police department, and we want to help raise awareness any way we can,” said Small. “Many people within our community, throughout our state, and across the nation have been affected by a cancer diagnosis.”
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer makes up 32% of all cancers diagnosed in women. This year, ACS projects 287,850 new cases in the U.S., 1,420 of which will be diagnosed in Maine.
Compared to 2019, Maine could see a 2% increase in breast cancer cases, according to cancergoldstandard.org/.
Maine Cancer Association Director of Grantmaking Katelyn Michaud said the uptick could be due to a lack of early detection and rescheduled mammograms that were delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The importance of screening for breast cancer is critical,” Michaud said. “Without cancer screenings, cancers can be diagnosed at a later stage and possibly more difficult to treat.”
With the projected increase in cases, Michaud said, “October is a time to rally around those individuals and make sure we are doing everything we can to reduce that number.”
Anyone wishing to donate can visit info-komen.org/goto/BathPDpatrolinpink. Community members can purchase a “pink police patch” for $10 at the Bath police station.
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