Vienna Officers Join Zero Cancer Grow-And-Give Campaign In November

VIENNA, VA — Typically, Vienna police officers have to follow a dress code that doesn't allow male officers to have facial hair. This November, that rule will be suspended so officers can raise awareness about prostate cancer for the Grow-and-Give fundraising campaign.

Officers will forgo the razors and grow their facial hair during this 30-day campaign. Over a dozen officers are participating to raise awareness and inspire others to donate. The campaign supports, Zero — The End of Prostate Cancer, a nonprofit dedicated to ending prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. An estimated 250,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. alone this year. Prostate exams are typically recommended as men reach their middle age.

The cause is personal for one of Vienna's officers. Officer Juan Vazquez, the public information officer for the police department, lost his father Antonio Vazquez to prostate cancer in December 2017.

"One of our officers, Juan Vazquez, lost his father to prostate cancer a few years ago," said Police Chief Jim Morris. "It is especially meaningful to him that we participate not only to try to help
find a cure for prostate cancer, but to raise awareness about the subject in the community. This type of cancer is very treatable if it’s diagnosed early."

Vazquez described his father's experience with prostate cancer in a Facebook post. He said his father only went to a doctor for major concerns and had overall been healthy. After losing a job in his mid-50s, he received Medicare benefits and scheduled an annual physical to check up on his health. A few tests revealed the shocking news that he had prostate cancer, and it had spread outside the prostate after being undetected for years.

His father began aggressive chemotherapy treatments and fought the cancer for several years. But they later learned it was too late, as the cancer had spread to other organs. Juan Vazquez decided to relocate his father from Puerto Rico to Northern Virginia so he could care for him and his father could get the best doctors and begin chemotherapy again.

After many more chemotherapy treatments, doctor visits and radiation treatments, doctors said nothing else could be done. His father was placed on hospice, and he died a few days later.

"12/14/17 was the day that day I lost my dad, my hero, my best friend, my confident and my #1 fan," Vazquez wrote. "The frustrating thing about that is that maybe it could have been prevented with early detection. I NEVER thought in a million years that I would lose my father in my thirties, especially to something like prostate cancer."

Vazquez hopes raising awareness could help someone else's relative. He says preventing one loss would be worthwhile.

The Vienna Police Department set a $3,000 fundraising goal to support prostate cancer research through Zero's campaign. Just into day two of the campaign, the campaign had already raised over $800.

Residents can support the Vienna Police Department's campaign or Officer Vazquez's personal campaign.