The boys at Bathurst Fire Station have been donating all their spare ties to the Tie Up Prostate Cancer challenge.

And for firefighter David Press, the cause comes very close to home.

“This is a personal thing for me because I am suffering from prostate cancer,” Mr Press said.

“I’m on board after my grandfather, dad and brother all had it. It is the cancer no one talks about. If I can get people talking about it and go and get checked it’ll be worth it.

“A lot of people say they thought it was an old man’s disease, but this is not an old man’s disease. If my old man didn’t have the cancer I wouldn’t have tested for it and I wouldn’t have known.”

Firefighter Anthony Baillie said it also struck a chord with him because members of his family had the disease.

The men have challenged local police, ambulance and State Emergency Service to try to beat the number of ties they donate.

Mr Press said firefighters had given strong support to the cause.

“The response has been great, it is going state wide. We are a great family. If one of us bleeds we all bleed,” he said. The Bathurst station has collected 87 ties so far.

The challenge is the brain-child of Councillor Bobby Bourke and deputy mayor Ian North and aims at looping Mount Panorama in ties knotted together to raise money for prostate cancer.

To donate a tie, drop it into Bathurst Op Shop in Lions Club Drive, Bathurst Regional Council, Reliance Member Banking, 2BS or post it to PO Box 883, Bathurst 2795.