A Pasadena-based credit union is selling pink patches to promote the Pink Patch Project, a breast cancer fundraiser that has several Los Angeles County police departments collaborating to raise awareness.
Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union, which also strives to help the communities it serves by providing lessons in financial literacy and planning for citizens, will support the joint efforts of the police departments by promoting and selling commemorative $10 pink patches and then donating all of the proceedings toward breast cancer research, according to Rhonda Newborg, PSFCU’s Vice President of Member Services.
Though the Pasadena Police Department itself is not a part of the Pink Patch Project, 22 police departments in the Los Angeles County area are in on the joint operation to sell the patches and raise awareness.
“This event is about raising awareness about breast cancer,” said David Vautrin, a captain of the El Monte Police Department. “From now through the end of October, there are 22 police agencies and members of the departments that will be wearing pink and selling patches so we can make donations in November.”
According to Vautrin, the Pink Patch Project first started with the Seal Beach Police Department four years ago, and it wasn’t until the Irwindale Police Department caught on last year that his department decided to join in.
“This is our first year,” Vautrin said. “This is a major push for us, this is the first time we’ve partnered up for a cause such as this, and we’ve been selling patches like crazy.”
Vautrin, a veteran of the police force, went on to explain that he took this role because his wife is a breast cancer survivor.
“Ten years ago, we discovered an indentation and we took her to a doctor where they ran a battery of tests,” Vautrin said. “Coming upon this year, it’s been 10 years since we first dealt with this disease, and it’s our goal to keep it out of our house and keep it out of the houses of others.”
Alexy Escobedo, a detective with the Vernon Police Department, said that he’s participating because it’s a way of giving back to the community and even members of his own department.
“We’ve had one of our sergeants have cancer,” Escobedo said. “He went through chemotherapy and is in remission. It’s not just necessarily breast cancer, we’re trying to fight this disease that affects us all in some shape or form. Personally, I’ve had a few aunts and cousins who have passed away from this cancer disease. I enjoy helping people, that’s why I became a police officer, I want to make people aware of what they need to do to prevent this disease.”
According to Escobedo, it is possible for one to purchase and/or donate to the cause by emailing him personally at [email protected], sending money to their local police department via the post office and have a patch mailed back to them, or simply drop by a police department and buy one.
“We can make it happen,” Escobedo said. “We’ve had people from New York and across the pond reach out to us; we’ve even had people from Scotland.”
Show your support! The patches are available for purchase at Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union at 670 N Rosemead Boulevard in Pasadena. For more information, please call (877) 297-4707.
The patches are also available at Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union’s Vernon Branch at 2529 S. Santa Fe Ave. in Vernon.
For more about the project, see www.pinkpatchproject.com.
