PRG volunteers go above and beyond
Gale Colston isn’t ashamed to say it: She’s the kind of woman who speaks her mind and knows how to get things done.
It’s that kind of unapologetic approach that makes Gale, a two-time breast cancer survivor and volunteer for PRG, so effective at raising money for Pink Ribbon Girls.
Gale helps raise a significant amount of funds annually for PRG through two major fundraisers in Ohio: the Pink Fire Truck and her Brookville 5K Walk for Breast Cancer, an event she has been coordinating since 2010.
“Gale has been an invaluable volunteer and supporter of Pink Ribbon Girls,” says Heather Salazer, president and CEO. “We are so blessed to have someone like Gale on the PRG team.”
Gale, who lives in Brookville, is more than just a volunteer – she is a resource and a fixture of the local breast cancer community. She has also raised money for cancer organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. When she heard about Pink Ribbon Girls and the free services of meals, rides to treatment, house cleaning and peer support it provides local individuals and their families, she knew she needed to get involved.
“With PRG, having the money stay local and really taking care of the clients, it’s just a perfect fit,” Gale said. “You can see the money working right in front of your eyes.”
Gale became PRG’s fire truck coordinator after the Huber Heights Fire Department donated a retired truck to Pink Ribbon Girls in 2017. The truck is rewrapped in pink with sponsor logos every fall and hits the road throughout September and October – gynecological and breast cancer awareness months – touring Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus. In addition to their logo on the truck, their sponsorship guarantees a visit to their business sometime throughout the year.
Not only does this campaign garner sponsorships and spread awareness about PRG’s mission, but Gale maximizes the program’s value by selling merchandise at every stop.
“Everybody sees me as the face out there because I’m the one who drove the fire truck in, but the rest of the people are carrying and selling (merchandise),” Gale said. “It takes other people to help you through all that.”
This year, Ohio won’t have to wait until September for the return of the Pink Ribbon Fire Truck. It will begin touring again this spring.
Gale also coordinates the Brookville 5K Walk for Breast Cancer, an annual event that raises around $45,000 each fall and draws a substantial turnout in a city of fewer than 6,000 residents. This year’s event will be different. Instead of having the route start and end at Brookville High School, Gale said it will be held downtown and feature a band and a beer garden with hopes of raising more money than it has ever before for PRG.
“It’s amazing what this community does – they’re very supportive,” Gale said. “I’m really lucky. I couldn’t do this without my husband being so 100% in, and I have some great friends that support us in all these little journeys that we take.”
Gale’s passion for supporting individuals fighting breast cancer is personal. She was first diagnosed in 1994 at the age of 38 and then again five years ago. After two double mastectomies – opting not to have reconstruction the second time – Gale is cancer-free.
She said PRG’s mission resonated with her not only because of the tangible services it provides clients but because of the passion of those involved. Gale has watched PRG transform from a small startup to an organization with expanding reach, and she has played no small role in that growth.
“You start seeing how PRG has really branched out from our area and who it has helped – we are talking about a little mom-and-pop business — and now it’s a franchise,” Gale said. “I give up personal time and personal stuff to do things for PRG because I know, at the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do.”