City Employees Show Their Pink

Some New Port Richey city employees are wearing pink T-shirts while on the clock. Some of those employees are firefighters.

The shirts are being worn in support of breast cancer survivors, according to the city's website.

William Billups, an employee of the New Port Richey Fire Department, "spearheaded" a project selling pink T-shirts, according to the website. The proceeds were donated to Pasco breast cancer survivor Tammy Farmerie and  Pink Heals, according to the city.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and photos of employees wearing the shirts will be posted throughout the month on the city website. Employees from several departments started wearing the shirts Wednesday and are wearing them through the end of the month, according to the website.

“Anything we can do to help the public is a good thing,” said fire department employee David Bear to Patch.

Farmerie is 34 years old and works in the field of diagnostic testing, according to a page she set up on Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.  

She learned in June while pregnant that she had breast cancer. Her daughter’s birth was induced five weeks early. The day after the birth, Farmerie was wheeled into an operating room for a double mastectomy. She later had a hysterectomy.

She participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Wesley Chapel earlier this month.

Billups was unavailable for comment. Farmerie was also unavailable

Fire Department employees and some other city employees are wearing the shirts.