Badges - Eustis police officers shave heads

From: Charles Rahn <c.t.rahn@xxxxxxxx>
To: Badges 1Badge <badges@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 12:59:13 -0400
Eustis police officers shave heads in honor of officer battling 
leukemiaOfficers said 'there was never a doubt' to shave their heads in honor 
of Officer Brad Smalt, who is fighting leukemia
EUSTIS ? The sounds of electric razors buzzed around the Eustis Police 
Department Friday morning as members of its command staff shaved off all their 
hair to show support to a fellow officer fighting leukemia.The group of 
officers, which included Deputy Chief Anthony Robinson, Lt. Dave Hubbard, Lt. 
Shane McSheehy and Lt. Ken Birkhofer, sat arm-to-arm inside the department's 
headquarters as beauticians made them bald. The haircuts were held in honor of 
29-year-old Officer Brad Smalt, who is currently receiving treatment at Shands 
Hospital in Gainesville for his second bout of acute lymphoblastic leukemia."To 
know what he's suffering, shaving my head is nothing," said Birkhofer, who 
mentioned that his new hairdo kept his head feeling cool.The officers joined 
Smalt's father, Mike Smalt, a master deputy Lake County Sheriff's Office, who 
spontaneously decided he, too, would sport a hairless style, and Eustis Chief 
Fred Cobb, who opted to get a short trim."When you talk about all these 
individuals' sacrifices, support, time and love, the city of Eustis has been 
outstanding," Smalt said. "It's amazing to see what they're willing to put 
themselves through."That support has remained alongside Brad Smalt, who joined 
Eustis police in 2003, as he battled the illness through the years. He was 
first diagnosed with leukemia two years after he joined the department at the 
age of 23.At the time, several blood drives were held to help him with his 
treatment as one of the many initiatives organized for him.For about three 
years, Smalt's condition was in remission until about six months ago when the 
leukemia returned."We know what he had to sacrifice," Birkhofer said. "We want 
to do what we can to help."Officers had previously pitched in $500 during a 
two-day challenge to raise money for Smalt, who faces a possible bone marrow 
transplant in the near future. A group of officers then decided to shave their 
heads as a symbolic gesture, Birkhofer said."It all snowballed," he said. 
"We're a brotherhood."It wasn't a difficult decision for McSheehy, who serves 
as SWAT commander working in the same department as Smalt, to let go of his 
locks."There was never a doubt," he said as fellow members of the department 
laughed and chatted about all the new looks. "It's easy to see why we came 
together. We consider each other family."                                       

The Badges Law Enforcement Discussion Group - Est. 1997
Badges - Eustis police officers shave heads

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