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Turlock Fire Department gives $14,000 check to cancer center
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After a successful month of selling their iconic pink t-shirts, the Turlock Fire Department presented a check for $14,000 to the Emanuel Cancer Center this week.

With October being breast cancer awareness month, firefighters sported pink TFD T-shirts as part of their uniform to help bring attention to the disease. To help raise money for the local cancer center, the T-shirts were sold to members to the community at $15 a shirt.

On Tuesday, Turlock firefighter Frank Saldivar, who has been on the forefront of the fundraiser since its beginning, presented a pink check for $14,000 to the Emanuel Cancer Center.

“The community really loved what was going on,” said Saldivar. “When buying a shirt, people always tell you a story about their family or themselves, which was always very motivating.”

The monumental success of the fundraiser came from the support of the community, says Saldivar.

“We’d like to say thanks to our community, even to the little kids wearing them around the local schools,” he continued. “We’re looking forward to continuing this in following years.”

According to Saldivar, 2,000 shirts were already sold by the beginning of October, causing an immediate need for more T-shirts to be ordered. Throughout the month, the pink t-shirts were sold at various locations throughout the community, including the Emanuel Medical Center Gift Shop, the Turlock Farmers’ Market, and Cost Less Food Market.

“It is great that the money is raised locally and used locally,” said Emanuel Medical Center CEO John Sigsbury.

The pink Turlock Fire Department T-shirts will soon be seen overseas, as the remaining 600 shirts were donated to children in the Philippines through the Salvation Army.

“We were able to donate the remainder of the shirts to children in the Philippines,” said Turlock Fire Chief Tim Lohman. “I think that it’s great that not only will our shirts be seen here in our community, but in other parts of the world as well. It’s great that we were able to help in that way.”