Ontario police officers grew beads last year to raise money to fight cancer during No-Shave November. This year, Ontario and San Bernardino police are competing to see which department can raise the most money.
Police in Ontario and San Bernardino will go head-to-head next month. Or maybe chin-to-chin is a better way of putting it.The two police departments are suspending their facial hair policies for No-Shave November and competing to see which department can raise the most money to fight cancer.“We’re going to raise more money than them,” said Gayla Geary, community relations director for Ontario’s Police Officers Association. “This will be our second year doing it. Last year, we raised almost $10,000.” Ontario hopes to raise at least that much this year, and officers will be selling T-shirts and other tchotchkes as well as holding two events — a Beards and Brew Festival on Nov. 14 and a barbecue on Nov. 30, at which beards will be judged and then shaved — to raise funds.San Bernardino police are, of course, undaunted.
“We’re going to have a nice friendly competition between two law enforcement agencies for a great cause,” said San Bernardino police Lt. Rich Lawhead. “We look forward to being the victor in this event. I don’t think Ontario can take us.”
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While San Bernardino is not planning any events at this time, they’re depending on their officers and the community to put them over the top.
“Obviously, citizens are not used to seeing police officers with beards,” Lawhead said. “Hopefully, they’ll ask why do you have a beard or why aren’t you shaving, and this will allow the officer the opportunity to then tell the citizen they’ve come in contact with that we’re doing this for cancer.”
Both departments have policies on facial hair — no beards and mustaches must be neatly trimmed and can’t go below the upper lip — but these policies will be suspended for participating officers. Ontario officers must donate $25 to participate. San Bernardino officers must donate $40.
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In Ontario, the idea to have officers grow beards — or “get hairy” as it was put in the news release — came from captains Gary Dufour and Terry Bertagna last year, Geary said. Officers had worn pink T-shirts under their uniforms in honor of breast cancer awareness month in October and felt they wanted to do something to raise funds to fight other types of cancer.
“It was really weird to see all of our officers with facial hair,” Geary said. “We had quite a few of them with hair down to their necks.”
Ontario’s Beards and Brew Festival will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 14 at Guasti Regional Park, 800 N Archibald Ave., Ontario. The barbecue and beard contest judging will be held at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 30 at the main police station at 2500 S. Archibald Ave., Ontario.
Ontario officers have also designed custom No-Shave November T-Shirts that they’re selling for $20 and commemorative challenge coins, which are going for $10 each. Decals are available $5 each. Proceeds will be donated to Megan’s Wings Foundation, a local charity that provides support to families of children with cancer. The Ontario POA has also registered a team - the Ontario Police Razorbacks - at No-Shave.org.
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For more information, contact Ontario’s POA: (909) 923-2217 or by email ontariopoa49@gmail.com.
Like Ontario, San Bernardino will also have a contest for its officers with categories such as longest beard, grayest beard and more, Lawhead said.
Funds raised will go to Loma Linda Hospital Medical Center’s Cancer Center, he said.
Supporters can make donations at the traffic window of police headquarters, 710 N. D St., San Bernardino, or on Loma Linda’s website.