Pasadena Turns Pink as Police, Doctors and Community Unite Against Breast Cancer

The showroom at Rusnak INEOS in Pasadena was awash in pink Wednesday morning. Pink balloons climbed the walls, pink ribbons adorned police uniforms, and a pink-and-white INEOS Grenadier stood among the guests, carrying an oversized Pasadena Police Department emblem.

But beneath the cheerful decorations and easy conversation was a serious message about a disease that has touched nearly every family.

The occasion was the Pink Patch Project, a breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaign that brought together Pasadena police officers, medical professionals, civic leaders and community members during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dr. Howard Kaufman of Huntington Hospital delivered sobering statistics, estimating that 322,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer nationwide in 2026 and approximately 42,000 will die from the disease.

He also warned that breast cancer diagnoses are increasing among younger women, while significant racial disparities persist in survival rates.

Kaufman also described Huntington’s expanding cancer services, including a new medical pavilion being developed in affiliation with Cedars-Sinai Cancer.

“We do not want you to have to travel across town for cancer treatment,” he said. “We want to make this easy for the community and comprehensive for the community.”

Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris, wearing a pink badge and ribbon, emphasized the department’s continuing commitment.

“Law enforcement has long been a partner in trying to make sure that we do our part in raising money and making sure we bring awareness to it,” Harris said.

Mayor Victor Gordo urged continued investment in research while remembering the families confronting cancer today.

“Let’s make sure that we provide the medical care, the humanity, and the care that people need,” he said, emphasizing support for patients and their families.

For dealership owner Paul Rusnak, the cause was deeply personal.

“I lost my daughter to cancer. My wife had cancer last year,” Rusnak said.

His wife, Donna Pearson, recalled her own disbelief upon receiving her diagnosis.

“I didn’t think I’d ever have cancer,” she said. “I just knew I’d never have cancer.”

Around them, guests gathered over coffee, purchased raffle tickets and posed for photographs beside the pink vehicle. Police officers mingled with residents beneath enormous balloon arrangements.

The morning offered a reminder that behind every pink ribbon is a patient, a family and a story, and that the campaign’s most important work continues long after the decorations come down.