Who Do You Honor During #BreastCancerAwareness Month?

See how this Mr. Rooter franchise honors its late owner during #BreastCancerAwareness month.
Who Do You Honor During #BreastCancerAwareness Month?
The Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchise in Houston, Texas, honors its late owner who passed away from breast cancer.

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Roger Goertz and his wife, Stacey, purchased their Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchise in Houston, Texas, in 2003. Stacey was very involved with the company and its employees. When she passed away in 2011 after battling breast cancer for almost five years, Goertz knew he wanted to do something to celebrate her. 

“The employees really liked her, respected her and thought a lot of her,” Goertz says. “When she passed, every single employee came to the office and cleaned all 28 company vehicles for the memorial service. They all came in uniform to the service, sat in one section, and they each said something about her.”

Goertz and the Mr. Rooter team decided to honor Stacey during the month of October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “I wanted to do something special,” Goertz says. “I invested in long-sleeve pink shirts with the Mr. Rooter logo and pink booties. 

“Technicians wear pink booties all month and the pink shirts on Fridays.” 

Goertz thought a few technicians might turn their nose up at the thought of wearing pink when he suggested the idea, but their response surprised him. “Every single one said they would do it,” he says. “They insisted that we do it.”

While Stacey was fighting her battle with breast cancer, concerned Mr. Rooter team members were regularly updated on her health. 

“They had a lot of questions because it was something they didn’t understand,” Goertz says. “I encouraged them to tell their spouses, sisters and mothers to get checked. We talked about mammograms.” 

Now into its fourth year, the franchise continues to honor Stacey and all breast cancer fighters with the pink tradition. 

“We are still wearing pink uniform shirts on Fridays during October as well as pink shoe covers,” Goertz says. “Customers love it and are very appreciative.” 

Goertz says the whole experience has made the technicians more aware of breast cancer. “I’ve had two or three employees say they were thankful because their mother hadn’t had an exam in several years,” he says. 

Technicians were pleased to wear pink into customers’ homes to honor Stacey. “It was amazing how the customers really took to it and reacted in a positive way, which made my technicians feel pretty proud,” Goertz says. 

“It’s kind of our Stacey month,” he continues. “We remember her, remember what she stood for: Never give up, fight to the very end, always have a great outlook on life, and always give the customer better service than they expect.” 

Who are you honoring during #BreastCancerAwareness month? Share your story below. 



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