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Beards for Brothers

Police Officers from Akron Borough, Annville Township, Columbia Borough, East Cocalico Township, East Hempfield Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Lititz Borough, Lancaster City, Lancaster County Park Rangers, Manheim Borough, Manheim Township, Manor Township, Millersville University, Mount Joy Borough, New Holland Borough, North West Regional, Strasburg Borough, West Hempfield Township, West Lampeter Township, and Quarryville Borough Police Departments will be participating in a No-Shave November campaign to help raise awareness for Cancer. This is the 6th year that Chiefs of Police have waived their departments’ facial hair policies and will be allowing officers to grow beards through the month of November. This year they are proud to be joined by officers and first responders from Lebanon County, as well as, local Volunteer Firefighters, EMS and Dispatchers from Lancaster County, PA.     

Each year Officers select a first responder or organization from the community who is currently battling Cancer, or provides care to those battling cancer. This year the Beards for Brothers campaign will raise money for retired Police Sergant Harold E. Gainer, Jr. and EMT Andrew Etman.

  • Harold E. Gainer, Jr. retired after 28 years of service in East Hempfield Township.  Harold served two years in the United States Marine Corp., serving his Country with Distinction fighting in the Vietnam War. Harold was the first ever Lancaster County police officer to be elected as President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #16 and maintained the position for 16 years.  Harold’s commitment to service in unwavering.  Harold is currently the Security Supervisor at the Lancaster General Health Campus where he has been employed for 23 years.  He is deeply involved in the community, specifically Schreiber Pediatrics and was a long-time active board member.   In January of this year Harold was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia.  After several rounds of treatment, it was determined Harold has a rare form of blood cancer which requires weekly treatment to keep the disease at bay.  With the battle ahead, Harold continues to serve the community with the same level of commitment.
  • Andrew Etman has been a volunteer firefighter with Gordonville Fire & EMS since 2010, and a volunteer EMT with them since 2014. He has been a volunteer at New Holland Ambulance since 2015, and was employed full time as an EMT at Ephrata Community Ambulance Association from Sept 28, 2015-October 29, 2019. Unfortunately, due to his illness Andrew is unable to work and has lost his insurance coverage. Andrew has been married to his wife Barbara for 32 years. They have two children together and three grandchildren. Andrew was diagnosed with Stage 4 Diffuse Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It initially metastasized in his right eye, but has since been discovered in his brain, cerebral spinal fluid, spine and bone marrow. In November of this year Andrew will undergo a stem cell transplant. Andrew is currently admitted to Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute receiving Chemotherapy, prior to the reintroduction of his stem cells, which were harvested on October 24th. Andrew will remain in the hospital for isolation and recovery with a target discharge date of November 20, 2019.

The campaign will also be donating a percentage of the money raised to A Week Away (AWA). AWA is a non-profit organization that “coordinates and funds respite weeks for families who are battling a life–threatening illness, with the goal of providing them the hope they need to continue their fight”

For more information on the campaign visit: Beards for Brothers 2019.