October 14th, 2011
Police, fire leading anti-cancer parade, rally

Pink Heals Fire Truck. FILE PHOTO

San Marcos police, firefighters, and Central Texas Medical Center have invited the public to a parade and rally on Sunday, Oct. 16 to help fight cancer.

The 2011 Pink Heals rally will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Plaza Park next to the city’s Grant Harris Jr. Building at CM Allen Parkway and Hopkins Street. The San Marcos High School Cheerleaders and Diamond Line will perform and other activities will include live music, a kids’ play area, face painting, and more.

Lunch will be sponsored by Texas Roadhouse for $8 a plate with a choice of hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches and sides. There will be photo opportunities with fire fighters in their pink bunker gear and chances to sign a pink fire truck and pink police car in memory or in support of loved ones.

A parade featuring the high school students and pink vehicles will begin shortly after 12:30 p.m. Vehicles will leave Fire Station 5 at 100 Carlson Circle between 12:30 p.m. and 12:40 p.m., turn right on the access road along Interstate 35, turn right on Hopkins Street, and stop briefly at the San Marcos Activity Center to meet the high school students. The assembly will proceed towards downtown, turn right on CM Allen Parkway, and turn right again into the nearby parking lot next to the Grant Harris Jr. Building.

The Pink Heals campaign, which kicked-off Oct. 2 with a 5K run/walk, is hosted by the San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association, the San Marcos Police Officers Association and Central Texas Medical Center. The police and fire fighter groups raised $12,000 during the 2010 Pink Heals Campaign and presented the money to Hays County Community Action, CTMC, the Breast Cancer Resource Center and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The money was raised through the sale of 1,065 T-shirts and a 5K fun/walk.

Throughout this year’s campaign, the groups have been selling pink T-shirts or blue and pink shirts for $17 each. Shirts can be purchased at CTMC by calling (512) 753-3674 or emailing SMPinkHeals2011@yahoo.com. Proceeds will go to organizations in the San Marcos area that help battle all types of cancer.

Upcoming related events include:

• Oct. 19 – Texas State University Dig Pink Women’s Volleyball Game and silent auction Strahan Coliseum. The silent auction, proceeds from which will benefit CTMC’s breast cancer outreach efforts, will be at 5 p.m. on the concourse level of the coliseum. The game, between Texas State and UT Arlington, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Zeta Tau Alpha sorority will sell Texas State Pink Out shirts for $10 at the doors of Strahan Coliseum, and all attendees who wear pink shirts will receive free admission to the match.

• Oct. 19 – Tres Hermana’s Rosado Fundraiser. Fifty percent off all meal proceeds for the day will be donated to CTMC’s breast cancer outreach efforts.

• Oct. 20 – CTMC Digital Mammo Suite Open House. From 5:30-7 p.m. there will be hors d’oeuvres, opportunities to learn about the latest in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, inspirational artwork inspired by breast cancer survivors, and a tour of the hospital’s new mammography facility.

• Oct. 21 – Pink-T-Shirt day and group photo at CTMC to commemorate National Mammography Day.

• Oct. 26 – Bra and Fashion Night hosted by the Texas State Cancer Advocacy Movement for Colleges and Outreach. The reception is at 6:30 p.m. and the Fashion show will be at 7 p.m., both in the Alkek Library Teaching Theatre.

For more information about any of CTMC’s Pink Heals-related events and activities, visit its website or call (512) 753-3603.