Our co-founder helped lead the Pink Patch Project within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and created the LASD pink patches that deputies wore to take a stand against breast cancer.
The Pink Patch Project began in 2013 with the Seal Beach Police Department, whose officers swapped their standard uniform patch for a pink one during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The idea caught on. Agencies started selling their pink patches to the public to raise money for breast cancer causes, and within a few years, dozens of departments had joined. Today, hundreds of public safety agencies worldwide take part, each creating its own version of the patch.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was one of them. Every October, deputies trade their standard patch for the pink one, and the patches, along with challenge coins, shirts, and other merchandise, are sold to the public. Every dollar raised goes toward breast cancer research, education, and treatment. A small change to a uniform became a way to fund real care for real families.
For the officers who wear it, the pink patch is personal. It honors survivors, remembers those who were lost, and stands with everyone still in the fight. It is a reminder that the people who protect a community are part of it too.
The program lives on
The Pink Patch Project is still going strong. Agencies fundraise year-round, wear the pink patch every October, and gather each fall for awareness events and the annual Pink Patch 5K Run/Walk.
To support it, you can visit:
- The Pink Patch Project: pinkpatchproject.com
- On Instagram: @pinkpatchproject
- Find or register for the Pink Patch 5K: Run Signup
Our part in it
We are proud of the role our co-founder played in the LASD effort, and of how far the larger project has grown since.
That same belief carried into In-service: that the things officers wear and carry should mean something. We make custom challenge coins and patches for the law enforcement community, built to mark the moments and milestones that deserve to be remembered. The Pink Patch Project showed us what a piece of metal and thread can do when it stands for something bigger.
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What Does a Challenge Coin Mean in Law Enforcement and First Responder Culture? →
The Pink Patch is one example. Here is what these pieces mean across the law enforcement and first responder community.