BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WHDH) — Two Cape Cod fire departments are showing their support for breast cancer awareness by competing to see which department can collect the most bras and money.
The departments are hanging the collected bras of pink ladders displayed outside of their stations.
“We've been trying for years to get people's attention. And now we have their attention,” West Barnstable Fire Lt. Chris Greim said.
The idea came when two firefighters took a motorcycle trip to Nova Scotia.
"There were over 12-thousand bras hanging over a bridge in Nova Scotia. So they decided that was a good idea. So they brought it back, we talked about it. We wanted to raise awareness. We wanted to get people's attention about breast cancer,” Greim said.
It’s not just the display though, Greim and the other firefighters are hoping that by seeing the displays they will remember to make a monetary donation.
While many residents like the creativity, not everyone thinks it’s in good taste.
Among those who are speaking out against the displays are two breast cancer survivors.
"We have to be certainly sensitive to their point of view. We certainly did not want to offend anybody in any way,” Barnstable Fire Chief Frank Pulsifer said.
The bras are going to be removed from the Barnstable Fire Department on Wednesday to be replaced with pink ribbons. The 40 plus bras hanging at the West Barnstable station will not be removed.
So far several hundred dollars has been raised.