A pink fire truck and Kansas City Chiefs SUV or HumVee-type vehicle will be in Atlantic Thursday evening as part of the “Pink Heals Tour,” to raise awareness and offer support to persons or families of persons with serious illnesses. Atlantic Firefighter Shawn Macha says the tour, with it’s bright pink fire truck, is stopping in Atlantic in-part, to recognize a Riley Slauson, a local 4-year old who was diagnosed last September with metastatic colorectal cancer and has been undergoing strong oral doses of chemotherapy.

Macha says the event is open to the public. Anyone who is battling a serious illness or knows of someone with a serious illness, is welcome to sign their names on the fire truck. As part of the event, which runs from 4-until 6-pm Thursday at the Atlantic Fire Station, there’ll be food and beverages. The fire department will grill hot dogs and serve lemonade.

Macha says the “Pink Heals” organization started in 2007 to help people battling cancer with a focus on women and their families. They took the theme of the Public Safety with pink fire trucks and pink police cars to serve communities by putting people first instead of causes. The other purpose of their tour is to make people aware of their organization, and recruit new chapters. There is not a chapter in Iowa at this time. The current tour originated in Phoenix, AZ., When they arrive in Atlantic, they will have a pink fire engine, and a bus equipped with merchandise for sale.

The Pink Heals National Tour is funded 100% by the sale of merchandise and made possible through countless volunteer hours. The sale of our merchandise allows the organization to maintain their vehicles, buy gas and bring their program to communities in hopes a “Pink Heals” program will take-off, locally. Tour drivers volunteer up to 18 days at a time to drive pink fire trucks and police cars across America

The “Pink Heals” movement is founded by former pro athlete Dave Graybill, who is also a retired firefighter, and philanthropist. For more information, go to www.pinkfiretrucks.org.