By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Kirk Rohrer’s mother, Antoinette, was only 46 years old when she died of breast cancer in April 2017.
As tragic and sad as her death was at a relatively young age, she lived long enough to see her son become a Sea Isle City police officer.
Rohrer’s swearing-in ceremony to join the police department occurred at his mother’s house in Upper Township because she was too ill to leave her home.
“I was sworn in a few days before she passed away. I’m glad she got to see it,” Rohrer said.
Now, Rohrer and the rest of the Sea Isle City Police Department will honor his mother’s memory – along with other breast cancer victims and survivors – by wearing special pink colored police badges throughout October in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
With his mother in mind, Rohrer approached Sea Isle Police Chief Tom McQuillen about having the officers wear symbolic pink badges.
McQuillen, who enthusiastically embraced the idea, hopes that the pink badges will help raise awareness of breast cancer – as well as pay tribute to Antoinette Rohrer and other breast cancer victims and survivors.
“I think that it’s a great public service that we can offer. Kirk is to be commended for coming up with the idea and helping us to launch another great initiative,” McQuillen said.
Sea Isle’s police officers already participate each year in “No-Save November,” a charitable campaign to raise money for families battling cancer.
McQuillen said there aren’t plans this year for officers to raise money during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but that may be considered for next year.
Oct. 1 will be the first official day that the officers begin wearing the pink badges and they will stay on until Oct. 31.
Rohrer is proud that his mother is the inspiration for the campaign.
“I feel good about it. I feel it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Even before Kirk Rohrer became an officer in 2017, his family had strong ties to Sea Isle and the police department. His father, also named Kirk, was a longtime Sea Isle police officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant before retiring in 2012.
Antoinette Rohrer served as Sea Isle’s Municipal Court administrator. She worked for the city starting in the 1980s up to 2017.
