Belmont Police Department participates in fight against breast cancer
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Lina Saleh, Staff Writer
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November 2, 2021
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The Belmont Police Department (BPD) participated in 2021’s Pink Patch Project, an initiative that started in Southern California in 2013 to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Starting on Oct. 1, BPD officers began sporting pink editions of the uniform public safety employee patch for “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” to support the fight against and raise awareness for breast cancer. The Pink Patch Project’s involvement with the police began six years ago with the intention of raising money to fight breast cancer. “In 2015, the Irwindale Police Department in California ran with the idea and sold their patches to the community, raising over $20,000 for one of the nation's largest and most effective cancer centers, the City of Hope,” the Pink Patch Website said. |
Marco Verch / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
The Belmont Police Department participated in this year's Pink Patch Project to raise awareness for breast cancer. |
The Pink Patch Project raises funds for research and treatments against breast cancer. Since 2013, they have raised $1.4 million, sold 900,000 patches, and currently work with over 500 agencies.
This past October was the first year that the BPD participated in the Pink Patch Project. The BPD also plans on participating in 2022 to raise funds supporting the fight against breast cancer.
The BPD believes that their participation in the Pink Patch Project is an important factor in continuing to build trust and community with residents and is a way for police officers to express their support for the fight against breast cancer.
“Several Belmont Police Department members have personal stories of how breast cancer has affected their families and thought this program is a great way to express our support,” the Belmont website stated.
The Pink Patch Project’s official goals are similar to that of the BPD when it comes to community outreach and increasing awareness.
“The pink patches are intended to stimulate conversation with the community and to encourage public awareness about the importance of early detection and the ongoing fight against this disease,” the Pink Patch Project’s website said.
Many Belmont community members and police officers have been personally affected by breast cancer and its repercussions, Corporal Brian Vogel being one of them.
“When I put on my uniform and saw the pink patch it reminded me of the struggle, but more importantly the triumph of having a loved one who beat breast cancer,” Vogel said. “Before we are police officers, we are parents, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters.”