When you see a Myrtle Beach firefighter in October, chances are he or she will be wearing a pink shirt.
It's not a fashion statement, it's a stand against breast cancer.
"It has impacted so many of our firefighters and their families," said Myrtle Beach Fire Department Administrative Secretary Rhonda Brown. "It's very personal to many of us."
In fact, Brown, who is known as "mom" to many of Myrtle Beach's firefighters, is a breast cancer survivor who recently finished her latest 11-month round of chemotherapy.
Diagnosed in 1983, she spent eight years cancer-free before she had a recurrence that is still with her.
"I'm still here, so…" she said.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and two years ago, a committee of firefighters brought the idea to the department's administration to wear pink shirts all month to raise awareness.
The department sells the shirts at $15 each to raise money for cancer research, and last year raised $8,900, said Chief Alvin Payne.
Brown said the shirts are sold outside the department, too.
"My sister in California has several," she said.
She said most if not all of the department's 144 firefighters buy at least one shirt for themselves, and often give others to their families. The shirts are available to the public, too.
The pink shirts are so popular, Brown said, she just re-stocked the department's supply for the fourth time.
She said she is hoping to get a picture from every crew on every shift at every one of the city's fire stations, all wearing their shirts, to hang on her office wall.
Speaking of pictures, Brown declined to have hers taken for this story.
"It's not about me," she said. "I'm just an advocate."
But apparently, she is at least part of the inspiration, because firefighters mentioned her when they told The Sun News about their efforts.
"I cannot say enough about my guys. They have been there – are there – for me," Brown said. "It makes me cry."
The pink shirts are just one piece in a larger, nationwide awareness effort that includes a traveling exhibit of pink fire trucks called the Pink Heals Tour, public education events and more.
To learn more about the effort, visit pinkfiretrucks.org. To buy an MBFD pink shirt, call Brown at 918-1102 or visit the department's administrative office in the Myrtle Beach City Services Building, 921 N. Oak St.
Make art, not guns
The 140 guns that were sold at this weekend's first community gun buy-back are going to be melted down in a few weeks, after all the paperwork is completed.
They will be shipped out of the area, all 138 handguns, a sawed-off shotgun and a .45 caliber machine gun.
Myrtle Beach Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Pete Woods, who helped with the weekend event said he considers it very successful.
That's 140 guns that won't be used to kill someone, he said.
But what if they could be turned in to something positive for the community?
In Culiacan, Mexico, a city considered to have that country's highest rate of gun-related deaths, an artist traded people their guns for coupons that could be used to buy electronics or household appliances. He collected 1,500 weapons and melted them down to make shovels that are now used for tree plantings around the city.
The Art of Peace Charitable Trust in New York is sculpting "peace angels" out of weapons. The sculptures will be placed in Peace Angels that will be erected in Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C.
The nonprofit works on local and national levels to help reduce the number of weapons on American streets.
Woods said no one has contacted him about using the results of the meltdown for any other purpose, but he'd be open to hearing ideas and helping someone make that happen.
He can be reached at 918-1806.
