West Chiles is painfully aware that cancer in all of its insidious forms has touched nearly everyone in this country in one way or another. But for him, his family and their friends, that touch was becoming just a little too familiar.
“My wife is sitting in Nashville today with a friend who is going through radiation treatment,” he said in early November. “We’ve lost a couple friends to cancer. My wife’s mother died of cancer. We had a friend of ours a few weeks ago do her yearly mammogram and they found a lump. Thankfully, there was nothing to it, but we’ve gotten way too many scares lately. I’m just sick and tired of this stuff.”
Fortunately for Chiles, as Part Owner and Managing Member of Chiles Propane LLC in Pulaski, TN, he was in a position to do something about it. Learning that early detection is the best way to prevent breast cancer, this summer he commissioned his propane-tank manufacturer, Lin’s Propane Trucks of Dighton, MA, to create a pink Chiles Propane Breast Cancer Awareness bobtail. Chiles then teamed up with the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF), with 1 cent of every gallon of propane that is pumped during the life of that bobtail going to the ABCF’s “Key to Life Breast Cancer Assistance Program.” This program provides financial grants for a variety of diagnostic and support services for breast cancer, including mammograms, ultra-sounds and emergency biopsies, wigs, medications, travel assistance and mastectomy bras. October also happened to be the 25th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“If this silly pink truck driving down the back roads of rural Tennessee can get someone to think about getting checked out, then we’ve won,” said Chiles. “We also want to separate ourselves from the competition. If it’s down to me and another company and our association with ABCF comes to the forefront, then I’m a winner and ABCF is a winner. The more business we do, the more gallons we pump, the more dollars we send to ABCF.”
Chiles Propane’s pink bobtail also provided Blackmer® with another opportunity to continue its involvement with the campaign to raise breast-cancer awareness. Blackmer has supplied a 3-inch TLGLF3C propane pump for use on the Chiles bobtail. Blackmer TLGLF3 pumps are designed to flange mount directly to a commercial internal control valve, in combination with the tank of a bobtail or transport. Direct mounting eliminates the need for inlet pipes, shut-off valve and external strainer, which can restrict flow and cause vaporization problems. The result is smoother operation and longer pump life.
“We were just happy to be involved with Chiles Propane on this project, and also happy that Blackmer donated the pump,” said Scott Swenson, Sales for Lin’s Propane Trucks. “It’s a great cause and cancer is something that has touched all of our lives in some way or another. This is good for breast-cancer awareness and good for marketing, too; you can’t believe how many heads snap when the pink truck drives by.”
Before the bobtail even hit the road in late October, Chiles organized a fundraiser at the home of one of the company’s clients in northern Giles County, TN. With the pink truck on hand as the guest of honor, representatives from the local hospital were also there to pass out information on breast cancer, while a silent auction and other raffles were held to raise funds for ABCF. At the end of the day, more than $5,300 was raised. Chiles anticipates more such fund-raisers in the future.