A new local group will be on call for women in need of support and love due to enduring an illness.

The plan is for the Pink Heals Tri-Cities Illinois Chapter to hit the road in a painted pink fire truck, visiting women who are going through an illness – particularly cancer.

This nonprofit group is part of the national Pink Heals effort.

The local Pink Heals group will focus on women who live in Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles.

“The purpose of it is to raise awareness and spread support and love to women in the Tri-City area that are going through any set illness or battle,” said Dave Kawecki, president of the local Pink Heals chapter.

Pink Heals volunteers arrive to a call wearing pink firefighter garb. One by one they hug the person they are visiting and say encouraging words.

Lisa Clark, a Maple Park resident, knows first-hand what it’s like to have a Pink Heals group be there for her.

Last year, Clark was 52 years old and had gone through her final breast cancer treatment.

Clark, a preschool teacher at Swing Set Preschool near St. Charles, had been at work and received a surprise visit from Pink Heals with a pink truck. There was a bagpipe player, Elburn firefighters, students who made cards, parents and the community.

“Until you have cancer, you don’t realize how much it impacts your life,” Clark said. “And it’s one of those things I feel you kind of take it on yourself and no one else realizes the impact that it has on your family. With a visit like that, it was just basically acknowledging everything that I had been through for the last year. ... Everybody around me took it, too.”

Kawecki said that the local chapter did get a fire engine donated. However, it is not yet in their possession and will still need to be painted pink.

The current focus is on raising money for the group, so that it can purchase flowers to give to women, maintain the fire truck and purchase fuel.

Kawecki plans to partner with local businesses, so that they can add to the support of women who need it.

Individuals who would like to help the Tri-Cities chapter can do so by participating in the first Pink Heals Tri-Cities Illinois Charity Ride on July 23.

Check in will be at the Fox River Harley-Davidson in St. Charles at 10 a.m. The ride starts at 11 a.m.

People will be able to purchase Pink Heals T-shirts there, too.

Early registration costs $25 for riders and $15 for passengers and can be done at pinkhealstricities@gmail.com.

Cost for people registering the day of the event is $30 for riders and $15 for passengers.

The first stop is Old Towne Pub in Wasco. Second stop is Forge Brewhouse in Sycamore. Third stop is Schmidt’s Towne Tap in Elburn. Fourth stop is Third Street Station in Geneva. Last stop is Alley 64 in St. Charles.

Ron Davies, representative of the Tri-Cities Pink Heals group, knows what it’s like to lose someone to cancer.

Davies, who lost his grandmother, expressed the importance of Pink Heals: “Lift their spirits and give them hope.”

Learn more at www.facebook.com/pinkhealstricitiesil.