NAHANT — Several Nahant Police officers are extending their hearts and their beards for a good cause.
Eight officers have chosen to pledge money towards Cops for Kids With Cancer, a nonprofit that benefits families of children battling the disease, in exchange for beard-growing rights. Others who chose not to grow a ‘stache still made financial contributions, said officer Matt Morneau.
While Police Chief Robert Dwyer said he wasn’t keen on the idea of his team growing facial hair, which is against the department’s strict policy, he strongly believes the cause outweighed the rules.
“I think it’s for a great cause,” said Dwyer. “It’s emotional, especially when a family goes through that with a small child. Their whole life has been turned upside down. If we can do something to help, I think that’s great. It’s positive and it’s good for morale.”
The Massachusetts-based organization made a donation to a Nahant family last year when their then-19-month-old daughter was battling cancer.
“This is a charity that is close to all of the local police departments’ hearts,” said Morneau. “In the past year, a few kids locally have directly benefitted from it. People in our town have benefited from this. We’re trying to bring awareness to a relatively unknown charity that makes a big impact.”
Nahant’s Mila Martineau was diagnosed with a form of cancer known as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in January 2016 after her parents, Jessica and Mark Martineau, noticed a lump on her back.
She underwent surgery to remove the tumor and began her next phase of treatment, which involved weekly chemotherapy treatments at the Jimmy Fund Clinic in Boston. On the day of her final treatment in July 2016, the community found a way to show support by lining Nahant Road with friends and neighbors holdings signs and police and fire trucks with lights flashing.
Similarly, Nahant Police Officer Tim Furlong represented the department and participated in a parade in Marblehead that ended with a Cops for Kids With Cancer donation to 11-year-old Sophia Smith and her family.
In March, Sophia was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, an aggressive, rare, and difficult to treat brain tumor found at the base of the brain. She received radiation treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital for six weeks before moving to The Harley Street Clinic, a private hospital in London with world-leading specialist consultants in cancer, cardiac, neurosciences and pediatrics who provide treatment unavailable in the states.
Zachary Cummings, 15, of Saugus, is battling Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and received a donation in June 2017. He began a two-year treatment plan in February and travels to Boston for regular appointments at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital twice each week.
His mom, Beth Cummings, who worked for a law firm for 15 years, quit her job to bring him to and from his appointments.
Cops for Kids with Cancer was founded by John Dow, a retired police captain and cancer survivor, said Ed McNelley, a member of the organization’s Board of Directors.
While in the hospital, he noticed a lot of sick children and the financial hardships their parents faced after taking off work or leaving their jobs to bring them to and from appointments.
Dow began donating funds to families of police officers and giving the remainder to other families of children with cancer who needed it. In 2007, Dow died and left the organization to the Board of Directors, which has since grown to include more than 20 members.
Today, Cops for Kids With Cancer donates $5,000 each to six families each month.
“We’re a relatively small department and we set a $1,000 goal,” said Morneau. “We’re only about $50 shy of that right now. This organization is helping families pay bills and pay for medications. This cause is one I think everybody in the community can relate to.”
Donations can be made at the Nahant Police page on the Cops for Kids With Cancer website.