Clanton Fire Department hopes to increase awareness of—and raise money for—breast cancer research.

CFD Chief David Driver said the department is taking orders for pink T-shirts with a special design, to mark Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

The deadline for ordering shirts is Sept. 12.

Each T-shirt will cost $15, and orders can be placed by calling Driver at 755-0533.

“We’ll need the money when we order them so we’ll know how many to get,” Driver said.

Driver said 2014 will mark the department’s second time to participate in one of the fundraisers sponsored by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, which would receive any proceeds from the sale of the shirts (the first fundraiser CFD participated in was several years ago).

“We’ve had at least one member whose wife is a breast cancer survivor,” Driver said. “This gets you thinking about cancer of all different kids. It affects so many people.”

In addition to offering the public the opportunity to purchase T-shirts as part of a fundraiser, Driver said many CFD firefighters would be buying shirts of their own and wearing them on calls in the city during October, to promote breast cancer awareness.

Since no city funds are being spent to provide the shirts for firefighters, Driver said it would not be mandatory for firefighters to purchase or wear them.

However, Driver said he expects most firefighters to participate.

“This means a lot to everybody,” Driver said. “I have two daughters, and you just never know what the future holds. If we do our part now to promote this research, we hope there will be better ways of treating it in the future.

“I know so many people who have been affected by this. We hope we can raise enough money to do our part.”

For more information about the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, visit www. bcrfa.org.