Towing for a Cure: Vibrant and Sleek Wheel Lift Honoring Breast Cancer Awareness

By George L. Nitti In Grand Island, Nebraska, the family behind Kramer’s Towing is known for keeping the roads clear and the community safe. But this October, they’re also helping keep awareness alive. The company’s 2024 Ford F-550 with a Century 312 Express wheel lift is a moving tribute to strength, remembrance, and hope serving the cause of breast cancer awareness. 

“We’ve had a couple of breast cancer awareness trucks,” said dispatcher Caitlin Bartz, whose family has owned the company for three generations. “We replaced one of our older trucks that had both breast and brain cancer graphics, so we decided to bring that back with a new design.” 

The wrap, designed by a company in Aurora, Nebraska, draws attention immediately. The bright metallic pink finish glows under natural light, contrasting sharply with the gray and silver ribbons that sweep across the doors and tool compartments. The words “Towing for a Cure” curve across the hood in silver script, while KRAMER’S stretches boldly across the doors in a sharp, steel-gradient font that gives the logo a fresh, modern edge. 

“They did a gray and pink ribbon together,” Caitlin explained. “One of our operators lost a close friend’s father to brain cancer, so we wanted to incorporate both causes.” 

In doing so, a large, silver-gray ribbon loops across the side of the bed, fading naturally into the pink background, the gradient echoing the dual fight against both brain and breast cancer. 

The detail work goes beyond color. The company’s logo has been refined for this project — its chrome-like finish now outlined with soft shadows that make it appear embossed against the vivid pink wrap. The clean silver striping along the fenders adds motion, suggesting the forward drive of awareness. 

On the hood of the unit, beautifully rendered, through a swirling ribbon, reads “Warrior," while on the top windshield headlines: "Not Without a Fight." Caitlin added, “In the wrap, it also says ‘Think Pink’ in a shadow effect almost — little details that you might not notice right away.” 

Kramer’s Towing, founded by Caitlin’s grandparents and now owned by her parents, Tim and Lisa Bartz, has grown steadily from its Grand Island base. Caitlin dispatches while her brother, Joe Bartz, operates this new tribute truck. “It’s used at events like the Nebraska State Fair, Husker Harvest Days, and Harvest of Harmony,” she said. “It’s smaller and easier to hook up in busy areas.” 

Even though Grand Island isn’t actually an island — “there’s no bodies of water here,” Caitlin laughed — Kramer’s Towing has become a fixture in the heart of Nebraska, known for its reliability and community presence. 

As for the truck, Caitlin concluded: “It represents our families and everyone touched by cancer. It’s our way of reminding people that nobody fights alone.”