Pinked Out in Pink Haven Without Paint

Fair Haven, or Pink Haven, is one of the 23 municipalities taking part in the Paint the Town Pink campaign for breast cancer awareness, sponsored by Meridian Health. There's just no paint involved.

The town was offered a couple of freebie support-the-cause options, and officials felt they were a bit too corporate and permanent. However, they are very supportive of the breast cancer awareness mission.

"We wholeheartedly support the cause," Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. "But, when they asked if we wanted the pink stripe down the middle of the road, which we let them do last year, and/or if we would agree to let them paint a the campaign symbol with the Meridian logo, we just thought that was a little too corporate."

The Borough Council had discussed the matter at a recent meeting and ultimately decided that a banner hanging across River Road with the logo and the plain pink ribbons on street light posts would be enough along with businesses own decorations.

But, when it came to a question of allowing the pink stripe paint, officials said that while the pink is painted over after the campaign, it just starts to show through again with wear and tear and it's a bit too permanent.

On the subject of having the Meridian Paint the Town Pink sign painted in the borough parking lot, Councilman Eric Jaeger had said he wasn't comfortable with such an obvious private, corporate business logo embossed on public, borough property. Other officials agreed.

"That would just be going a little too far on the corporate side," Lucarelli said. "And it would have been paint. We're fine with what we have."

So, Pink Haven, as it has been dubbed, is now pinked out.

This is how it goes ...

As part of the month-long May event, Meridian has invited business owners and residents to participate and raise funds for research and covering costs for under- or uninsured women's mammograms.

"Participation is free and the level of involvement is up to each individual business," according to a release from Meridian. "Meridian will provide each registered business a 'pink kit' which includes educational materials, a window cling for your storefront, a listing on the website and pink piggybanks to collect money ..."

Each town gets it's own "pink" name as well, such as Fair Haven's Pink Haven moniker. And, as part of the campaign, Meridian, in addition to providing businesses with "pink kits," hangs a banner in each town and adds other decorations, such as ribbons, lights and/or paint.

We've gotten a few shots of some pinked out businesses. One real eye-catcher, in particular is 30-year-old Fair Haven business Gem of an Idea's decor.

The store has a banner that says "No matter what you call them, save them" and the store window is flush with every name you've ever heard people call breasts.

Check it out in the photos above and add your favorites. And, while you're at it, see which name for breasts is misspelled in the Gem window. Oops ... But, very nice job, Gem of an Idea and everyone else!