CATS buses turn pink for breast cancer awareness

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Two pink buses are now on the road for the Capital Area Transit System (CATS).

Attorney Gordon McKernan teamed up with CATS for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The two buses will be driving around to raise awareness about breast cancer.

McKernan’s law firm provided free rides on the buses on Monday, October 15. The proceeds from McKernan’s donation will be given to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

“I figured why not wrap a big pink bus and drive it around town for the next year and hopefully when people see it, they’ll think about the battle that we’re in,” McKernan said.

The attorney says he has family members, including his mother, who have battled breast cancer.

Many bus riders were pleased with the free ride Monday.

“It really was kind of a surprise for most of them. Plank and Florida are two of our highest routes, they have the highest ridership, so we were really excited to be able to make a really big impact on the community," said Alexandra Sevier, communications coordinator for CATS.

Clara Carruth is a senior manager for Mission Delivery, a program with the American Cancer Society. She says raising awareness is just as important as the dollars coming in.

“It’s a really important reminder for women everyday to get their annual mammograms and to get checked and to talk to talk to their doctors about when screening is right for them,” Carruth said.

Lamar Advertising is also donating to the cause by providing digital billboard space.

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