Sheriff to participate in breast cancer campaign

The local chapter of the American Cancer Society is kicking off a fundraising campaign with local men leading the charge.

During the “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign, 26 select men from the Birmingham area have been nominated to serve as the “Pink Men” of Birmingham during breast cancer awareness month. 

Each participant will promote breast cancer education and early detection with messaging provided by the American Cancer Society. There is also a fundraising component in which the men will compete against each other, raising as much funds as possible (a minimum of $2,500) for the American Cancer Society.

The participant who raises the most funds will be named the “Birmingham’s Pink Man of the Year.”

Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego knows that cancer impacts every family at some point and breast cancer is among the most common. This is why he decided to be a face of the campaign.

“By participating and raising funds for research, I hope to raise awareness in Shelby County and maybe someone will get the screening that is so important to catch this disease early,” he said.

Samaniego said it is personally important to him to find treatment and cure options for breast cancer, as he has a sister-in-law and friends who have survived the disease.

To raise money, Samaniego will be asking other local government and state elected officials for a commitment toward funding breast cancer research. He will also be accepting donations through a web site created by the American Cancer Society.