Manchester Police Raise $15K For EMT With 'No Shave November'

MANCHESTER, NJ — For the second year, Manchester Township police put down their razors and sported beards and mustaches for a good cause: showing their support for cancer patients.

Through their participation in the No Shave November initiative, they raised $15,000 to support a local firefighter/EMT, Dan Mechkowski.

Mechkowski was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of bone and blood cancer, in February 2022 and has received numerous rounds of chemotherapy and multiple blood transfusions in an effort to fight the cancer. He has not been able to work due to his diagnoses and treatments.

The idea of No Shave November, which was started in 2009, is to "grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free," the No Shave November website says. Participants are encouraged to donate the money they would spend on shaving and grooming for the month to a cancer-fighting effort.

The police department's efforts were led by the Manchester Township Police Foundation and the Manchester Township PBA 246, and assisted by "a few generous members of the community," police said.

"Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to help raise money for Dan and his family," the police department said in a Facebook post about the effort.