Camden Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez, representatives from Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 218 and the family of Officer Matthew Sviben visited MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper recently to present a check for $9,000 in honor of Sviben. Sviben died in September at the age of 26 after being diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer in January 2020, just days after he graduated from the police academy and joined the Camden County Police Department.
Approximately 230 Camden County Police Department officers grew out their mustaches, beards and sideburns during a monthlong “No Shave November” observance to raise the funds. Each participant donated $30 ($1 a day for November) to forgo shaving. The Sviben family also contributed to the fund.
“We are honored to receive this most generous donation in tribute to Officer Sviben. These funds will be used to fund important ongoing colon cancer research in the hope that we can help conquer this disease,” said Dr. Alexandre Hageboutros, disease site leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at MD Anderson at Cooper.
“We thank Police Chief Rodriguez, the entire Camden Police Department and especially the Sviben family for giving so kindly, especially in their time of grief. The memory of Officer Sviben will live on through this donation,” said Robert A. Ortiz, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the Cooper Foundation.
