Brief: Benevolent Association, IPD support breast cancer fight

Earlier this month, the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association (IPBA) announced that the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) is showing its support for the fight against breast cancer this month.

“Ithaca PBA hates cancer but we love the color PINK!!!” IPBA said in a press release. “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year, as in many years past, you will see Ithaca Police Officers proudly wearing our pink badges to help draw attention and support to this extremely important cause.”

According to the press release, Mike Meskill, a member of IPBA’s Executive Board, was the impetus behind the local Pink Badge Awareness initiative, bringing it to the community five years ago “with the goal of raising awareness of breast cancer and directly supporting those affected by the disease,” the release said.

“This year though he took it a step further,” IPBA said in the release. “In partnership with the IPD Administration and the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Mike helped add a PINK POLICE CAR to the IPD fleet to bring even more attention to this terrible disease.”

To wear a pink badge, IPBA members make $50 donations each to the organization’s Pink Badge Fund, which is donated at the end of the month to a local directly affected by breast cancer and the Cancer Resource Center of Ithaca.

“The Cancer Resource Center of Ithaca is a great organization that does extremely important work by supporting those locally who are affected by all cancers, in ways that traditional healthcare providers and insurance companies cannot,” IPBA said in the release.

Those interested in joining the IPBA and IPD in its efforts are asked to make a donation of any amount by writing a check or contacting Meskill. Checks should be made out to “Ithaca PBA,” with “Pink Badge” in the memo line, and mailed to:

Ithaca PBA
213 N. Tioga St.
PO Box 237
Ithaca, NY 14851

Contact Meskill to arrange making a donation at ipbatreasurer1@gmail.com.

IPBA provided some final thanks to community members for supporting this effort.

“The PBA would like to thank Phil Maguire and the Maguire Family for donating the vinyl to make one of IPD’s patrol cars pink and for their continued support of all of our local public servants,” IPBA said in the release. “Also, a special thanks to Marcus from Maguire’s Vinyl Shop, we couldn’t have done it without you! We love our Ithaca community and are committed to serving you both on and off duty, thanks for your support Ithaca!”

For more information about IPBA, visit its website at ithacapba.org.