Funds Raised Through Long Valley Police Aid Officer With Cancer

LONG VALLEY, NJ — In an effort to raise money for a local police officer who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, members of the Washington Township Police Department took part in a No-Shave November fundraising campaign.

The goal of the GoFundMe campaign was to raise $2,000 in order to support Sergeant Brendan Briscoe, a lifelong resident of Morristown and a 25-year veteran of the Morristown Police Department.

Last week, members of the Washington Township Police Department presented Briscoe and the Morristown Police Department with a check for the money raised during the initiative.

The No-Shave November campaign was able to raise $3,500, officials said.

"For our department, it means a lot to be able to give back to the community and in this case to a fellow officer. We have always prided ourselves on being involved and helping people in the community who are dealing with difficult situations," Lt. Chris Bratus said.

Briscoe, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2022, has begun chemotherapy but still has a tough road ahead, the GoFundMe page said.

The Washington Township Police Department has also recently announced that it will continue its "No Shave November" campaign in order to raise funds for another local cancer patient.

Nicole Papa, the sister of a Mount Olive police officer, was diagnosed with stage two triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The first step in her journey, according to the GoFundMe page set up in her name, was surgery on Aug. 18 to remove the tumor and several lymph nodes.

The goal is to raise $25,000 at least—but there's a long way to go. And the medical expenses are stacking up.

Papa's oncology plan will be the AC-T regimen, which will include a minimum of 16 intensive cycles of chemotherapy and is not anticipated to be completed until Spring 2023, officials said.

Following the completion of the chemotherapy, Papa will require additional radiation treatments, adding to the financial burden.

"Anyone close to Nicole on a personal basis knows that she is the one who supports everyone else, but never asks for anything, even when she needs it most. This GoFundMe was created to help Nicole offset the unexpected medical bills she will undoubtedly have and help her focus on her recovery rather than finances while she cannot work," the GoFundMe said.

As of right now, the fundraising page has raised a total of $24,480, which is only around $500 away from reaching its goal.