Nevada City, CA – Earlier this summer, seven local law enforcement and fire agencies invited community members to create and submit their best Nevada County breast cancer awareness design to be transformed into this year’s Pink Patch Project Breast Cancer Challenge Coin.
The 2025 winner was unanimously chosen by all seven agencies as Sharyl Shelton of Penn Valley.
“We’d like to congratulate Sharyl on her beautiful design, which caught all of our attention immediately,” said Tina West, a spokesperson for the Grass Valley Police Department.
Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, concurred, noting, “Sharyl did a great job capturing several elements that encompass not only Nevada County but the state as a whole with her towering pine trees and California poppies, which she tied together with a historic pink ribbon.”
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the importance of early detection and prevention, every October participating law enforcement and fire agencies sell Pink Patch Project Breast Cancer Challenge Coins for $20 each with 100 percent of proceeds benefitting local breast cancer research and services at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation in Grass Valley, California and Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation in Truckee, California. Agency-worn Pink Patches and merchandise are also sold annually to benefit both foundations.
Shelton’s design represents the face of the 2025 coin while the back of the coin showcases an American Flag wrapped in a pink heart with all participating agencies listed.
Pink Patch Challenge coins, pink patches and other merchandise are expected to go on sale Oct. 1. Special fundraising events will also be announced before such time.
Agencies that make the Pink Patch Project possible include the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Grass Valley Police Department, Truckee Police Department, Nevada City Police Department, Grass Valley Fire Department, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District, and Nevada County Probation. All seven agencies will fundraise and collectively sell coins, pink patches, and other merchandise this October to benefit breast cancer prevention.