Above: Calera Mayor Jon Graham and Kate Kiefer, president of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, stand out front of Calera City Hall. (Bruce Nix/Alabama NewsCenter)

Wendy and Brian Paschal, owners of Active Air

Wendy Paschal knows she’s not battling breast cancer alone. The town of Calera is standing beside her, encouraging her every step along the way.

Paschal, who co-owns Active Air in Calera with her husband, Brian, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July and is undergoing treatment. “You feel the support,” she said. “You find so many people who care, and who are willing to support you and help you get through what you have to go through. You don’t realize how many people it touches until it actually hits you.”

Calera is “going pink” during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October as a visual symbol of support for all those who, like Paschal, have been affected by breast cancer. The citywide effort will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA). This organization has raised more than $5.1 million for research to find a cure. All the funding is donated to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Calera High School students kicked off the effort, which culminated with the Eagles’ football game against Shelby County on Sept. 25. The players sported pink ribbons on their helmets. Fans enjoyed pink lemonade and cotton candy and watched as hundreds of bright pink balloons were released during pregame activities.

Calera joins in the fight against breast cancer from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Dolly O’Neal, co-founder of the Breast Cancer Research foundation of Alabama. The Timberline golf Club’s Breast cancer Awareness tournament on Oct. 25 will be held in her memory. (contributed)

Along with showing their “pink” spirit at the pep rally and game, the students and teachers raised funds, with a door-decorating contest and a donation drive that ended with Principal Joel Dixon and Assistant Principal Chris Sims accepting the challenge to paint their heads pink. The Calera youth football teams also caught the enthusiasm at their games the next day. The players wore pink socks and ribbons, while the cheerleaders dressed in matching tutus.

“We’ve got great kids. If you give them a cause, they’ll rally around it,” said Dixon. “This is an opportunity for kids to confront a problem outside themselves and realize they can be a part of the solution.”

The students honored one of their own through their efforts – Katherine Brannon, president of the Calera High School Parent-Teacher Organization and a two-time breast cancer survivor.

“It’s incredible to see the care and concern these kids feel for those who are survivors,” Brannon said. “One of the most humbling things for me while I was going through cancer was seeing the compassion of people who don’t even know me, but they want to raise money to support the cause.”

The spirit was contagious. Calera citizens launched a citywide emphasis with “Paint the Town Pink” on Sept. 24. Businesses and stores decorated property and buildings in every shade of pink imaginable, said Kate Kiefer, who has spearheaded the community event since it began five years ago.

Visitors to Calera will see many businesses in pink finery throughout October.

Additionally, 16 Calera stores are displaying pink paper ribbons that have been purchased by citizens to honor a friend or family member touched by cancer. T-shirts, designed by Calera High students, are on sale at local schools and city hall. The junior board of the Calera Chamber of Commerce sold commemorative yard signs, which stand in front of city hall, along with two 13-foot ribbons.

“People in Calera really dig deep into their pockets to support something they believe in,” said Kiefer, BCRFA president. “It’s overwhelming to know these people are so committed to helping us find a cure for this disease, and if not a cure, certainly better treatment for women who are going through it.”

Kiefer said statistics show that one out of eight women will have breast cancer. Because of research, cancer deaths have been reduced to one out of five people with the disease, as compared to four out of five 30 years ago.

The Alabama Power Calera Office was among the businesses that joined in the pink effort, serving pink-themed snacks.

The Alabama Power Calera Office was among the businesses that joined in the pink effort. As part of National Customer Appreciation Week, employees served pink-themed snacks on Oct. 5 and 9. The Calera Office also donated $500 to help pay for pink refreshments at the Calera High football game.

The monthlong effort will wrap up with Timberline Golf Club’s annual breast cancer awareness tournament on Oct. 25. This year’s event is in memory of BCRFA co-founder, Dolly O’Neal, who died last May after her fourth battle with the disease.

Calera Mayor Jon Graham said the effort has gotten bigger every year since it began in 2010.

“First and foremost, we want to make an impact by raising awareness and supporting cancer research. We like the fact that the money we raise is kept here in Alabama and used by UAB Hospital,” said Graham, whose grandmother, Flossie Gilbreath, died from breast cancer at age 83. “When you have a centralized focus, it brings the community together and allows us to reach out and minister to our local survivors, people we call ‘fighters,’ and their families.”

Kiefer’s “Calera Goes Pink” idea grew out of a talk with Fire Chief Sean Kendrick about his department’s T-shirt fundraiser. Since then, the town has raised more than $125,000.

“That’s phenomenal for a town with a population of 12,000,” Kiefer said. “I’m a believer that if we could crack one kind of cancer, we could crack them all. And we might be able to do that right here in Alabama. That would be quite a feat.”