By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Don’t be surprised if the next time you see a Sea Isle City police officer he looks a little, well, shaggier than usual.
The unshaven appearance is actually a good thing.
As is its custom this time every year, the Sea Isle Police Department is joining with other law enforcement groups to participate in “No Shave November” to help raise money for people or families battling cancer.
“We all know of someone or love someone who is going through or had cancer. It’s a nice way to let them know they aren’t alone,” Sea Isle Police Chief Tom McQuillen said of the fundraising campaign in an interview Monday.
Each officer who grows a beard for No Shave November contributes $40 and also encourages the public to donate as well, McQuillen said.
“We do our part to give back to these causes,” he said. “We encourage anyone from the public to support us.”
This year, the police department is pitching in to help three people and their families cope with the financial stress associated with cancer.
They include:
Jamie Miller, 36, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is the wife of Middle Township Police Officer Ronald Miller.
On Sept. 15, Jamie completed her first chemotherapy treatment. She will also undergo a double mastectomy, according to a press release.
Jamie, a graduate of Wildwood High School and Rowan University, is a treasury sales account manager with Citi Bank. Ronald Miller, a corporeal with the Middle Township Police Department, is a 15-year veteran currently assigned to both the Patrol Division and the Cape May County SWAT team.
The second person to benefit from the fundraising drive is Braden Brojakowski, a 15-year-old sophomore at Lower Cape May Regional High School.
Braden is a member of the high school’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams and also plays for the local Cape Express traveling soccer team.
He has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. He started chemotherapy treatments at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on Sept. 10. The treatments will continue for 10 weeks, the press release says.
Limb-saving surgery will then be performed to remove the cancer from Braden’s left hip and femur, followed by more chemotherapy, according to the release.
Braden is the son of Thomas and Amanda Brojakowski. He also has a sister, Eden, a freshman at Ramapo College.
No Shave November will also benefit Jackson Beto, an 8-year-old boy who is the nephew of a detective in the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
On its Facebook page, the Sea Isle Police Department urged the local community to help out with the fundraising efforts.
“Together, we can all make a difference, and let Jaime, Braden and Jackson know that they are not alone, and that we all stand with them!” the Facebook post says.
Donations may be made by stopping in at the 1st Bank of Sea Isle City. Checks should be made out to “Sea Isle City Police Department Goodwill Fund” with the memo “No Shave November.”
