A red fire truck is a popular stop during the Susan G. Komen 3 Day. While it makes for a great photo op, it really is the owners that keep people coming back.
For more than a decade, Brad Hammer has been manning this fire truck, parked on the sidelines cheering on the participants in the annual Susan G. Komen 3 Day.
Hammer says, “ We've been here for about 15 years. And we leapfrog the crowd. So, we'll see them 2 or 3 or 4 times today and tomorrow and the last day.”
Always standing next to him is his wife, who is also a breast cancer survivor, which is how the Hammers got involved with this walk many years ago.
Hammer says, “She came home one time and said I’m going to do this amazing walk in San Diego and I said not without me.”
After years of doing that, Hammer wanted to try something new and combined his love for fire trucks, as a retired firefighter, with breast cancer awareness, and he hasn’t looked back since.
He says, “ It's almost a better feeling than walking it you get to cheer them on. You get to see lots of people .. and you get to get lots of hugs.”
The Hammers have become a staple during this event, many people look forward to catching up with them, as they stop by the famous fire truck. And as each walker passes by, Brad says he’s reminded about the ongoing battle against breast cancer.
He says, “Breast cancer just affects so many people. And it's not going away and every time we can do anything to raise money and Susan G. Komen does so much for breast cancer people. You have to get involved.”
As long as breast cancer is still around, the Hammers vow to keep bringing this truck to the walks, bringing smiles to the faces of those on this journey.
