Our Story
Four Generations Fighting for a Cure
A Family Story. A Personal Mission. A Community United.
Some causes are chosen. Others find their way into your life and become part of your family story.
For the Rankin family, the fight against breast cancer became personal—and that personal connection has grown into a commitment spanning four generations.
For more than a decade, the Rankin family has stood behind Tough Enough to Wear Pink, bringing family, friends, and the community together to raise funds and awareness to support local individuals and families affected by breast cancer.
It all started with a family that was already deeply connected.
“We’ve always been very close,” says Barbara Rankin. “Taking on a family initiative to benefit breast cancer was natural for us.”
Then breast cancer touched their own family.
Barbara, the mother of three of the organization’s founders, was treated for precancerous cells in her breast. Her experience brought the cause even closer to home and strengthened the family’s desire to help others who would face their own breast cancer journey.
When a Cause Hit Home
The connection to Tough Enough to Wear Pink began when Alan Rankin was serving on the Fair and Rodeo Board. The board was looking for a charitable organization to support through the rodeo, and Tough Enough to Wear Pink offered a natural connection between the Western community and the fight against breast cancer.
But for the Rankin family, it quickly became much more than a charitable partnership.
“When I asked the family about acquiring the rights to the name and doing fundraising, the cause hit home for us,” Alan recalls.
The founders—Alan Rankin, Bonnie Rankin, Sharon (Rankin) Shirack, Doug Shirack, along with close family friend Daren Shawver—came together around a shared purpose: to turn their family's experiences into something that could help others.
And so, a family tradition of giving began.
More Than a Fundraiser
The family's connection to cancer extends beyond breast cancer. Barbara lost her husband to prostate cancer, while her father-in-law survived cancer. Two close family friends who lost their battles with breast cancer also left a lasting impression on the family.
Those experiences shaped their understanding of how deeply cancer can affect a person—and everyone who loves them.
They also shaped their belief that no one in their community should have to face the journey alone.
What started with a family has grown into something much bigger.
Friends began volunteering. Businesses stepped forward. Sponsors joined the effort. Community members participated in fundraising events. Year after year, more people found a way to join the mission.
“Through the years, friends of family members have volunteered for our fundraisers,” Sharon says. “Their participation and community participation are increasing every year.”
Four Generations. One Mission.
Today, the spirit that started with the Rankin family continues through Tough Enough to Wear Pink of Northern Colorado.
Four generations have helped carry this mission forward—proving that when a family comes together around a cause they believe in, their impact can reach far beyond their own family.
Every event. Every volunteer. Every sponsor. Every donation.
It all comes back to people in our community who need a helping hand.
The fight against breast cancer is personal for many of us. It is our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
And that is why we continue.
Because this isn't just about raising money.
It's about raising hope.
It's about standing together.
And it's about making sure our community is there when someone needs us most.
Our Story Continues
What began as a family's response to a cause close to their hearts has become a community tradition.
And we're all writing the next chapters.