By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–Now that the calendar has flipped to the month of October, many are looking forward to Halloween, but October also symbolizes another important cause being that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The city of Helena is showing its support in a unique way this month as members of the Helena Fire Department have gone out and painted some of the fire hydrants around the city pink.

Earlier this spring, the HFD also painted some of the hydrants blue in support of Autism Awareness Month and Helena Fire Chief John Wilder said this is the first time the department has painted the hydrants pink.

“We’ve partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama,” said Wilder. “Breast cancer effects one out of eight women which is alarming and we need to get more focus on and raise more money to find a cure. It’s important to us and this is just one of the many worthwhile causes we try and get behind.”

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama’s mission is “to help find a cure for breast cancer by funding promising Breast Cancer Research and to motivate community awareness and funding for that research,” according to the website.

The foundation has raised more that $5.1 million to fund research for a cure since its inception.

Helena Mayor Mark Hall is also in support of finding a cure as the disease has affected him and his family personally.

“I want to do everything possible to help promote the need for more research and better treatment,” said Hall. “So many people have been touched by cancer in one way or another. My wife is in the recovery process after being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer one year ago this month. My hope and prayer is that a cure for this dreadful disease is closer than ever, so we must keep working at all levels to help make this happen.”

In addition to the pink hydrants, the Helena Fire Department will be wearing and selling pink ribbon T-shirts during the month of October with part of the proceeds going to breast cancer research.

HFD encourages those to stop by Station One, Helena City Hall or the Jane B. Holmes Library to sign up for a shirt. Short sleeve are $15 and long sleeve are $20.

For more information on the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama visit Bcrfa.org.