Sault paramedics go pink for breast cancer (2 photos)

Sault EMS paramedics, as well as paramedic program students, were on hand at Rome’s and the Trunk Road Food Basics location Saturday, their uniforms adorned with pink epaulettes (some paramedics also sporting pink toques), collecting funds for breast cancer research from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

“This is our first year putting this event on,” said Mitch Boyle, Sault EMS paramedic, speaking to SooToday at Rome’s, October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We’ve noticed other EMS services in Ontario wearing pink epaulettes on their shoulders for breast cancer awareness and research. It was something I wanted us to do, and it snowballed from there.”

“We decided to have this event, and we’ve got some donation cans put out at various businesses across the city, and then on Oct. 20 at Sault College we’re having a ‘paint a pumpkin event’ to raise money for breast cancer research,” Boyle said.

“The thing is, in our job, we see it so much. We’re touched by people with cancer every day so this is something we wanted to put on so that we could give back and do more than just taking people to hospital.”

All EMS paramedics and student paramedics at Saturday’s event volunteered their time.

All funds raised, Boyle said, will go to the Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer research.

Boyle informed us late Saturday afternoon over $4,000 was raised through the paramedics fundraising efforts.