News Photo by Steve Schulwitz The Alpena Police Department’s Officer Linnessa Mellberg, left, and Lt. Eric Hamp show off pink department patches worn this month to support those who have cancer. People can purchase the patches at the department for $10 this month.

ALPENA — People depend on police daily to help them overcome challenges and danger.

Law enforcement officials also rally together to support one another when one of their own needs support.

That is what the Alpena Police Department did when one of its patrol officers was diagnosed with cancer and this month. The department is helping to raise money that will be used to assist those with cancer via Friends Together.

Several years ago, Officer Linnessa Mellberg was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, part of the body’s immune system.

Mellberg said the Alpena area is blessed to have many people, groups, and other resources that helped her and many others during their journey with cancer.

“We have great resources here in the community,” she said. “Friends Together assisted me going through the Cancer Center and going to (the University of Michigan) and other facilities for treatment. My work was also a great support. They helped me through it by just letting me vent and express how I felt during my journey and worked with my schedule. They were a great support resource.”

Mellberg said being able to work during her battle with cancer helped her tremendously. She said that, despite her illness, her main goal continued to be to protect and serve the people in Alpena and beyond.

“It was very important to me because I love my job and I love working in the community, helping the people,” she said. “You run into different people that have been through cancer, or going through it, and you can kind of share the experience with them and give them hope and encouragement and promote the resources available to them. Sometimes, they come back to see you to say thanks and that they are doing well.”

Mellberg had some advice to people who have cancer and to those who may be diagnosed with it down the road. She said not to take your journey alone and to utilize the people and support staff that is available locally.

“Reach out, talk about it, and don’t hold it in,” Mellberg said. “There are other people who can help you through your journey if you are open about it.”

Besides helping people in the area from a law enforcement standpoint, Mellberg, along with her fellow police officers, is also trying to help support Friends Together. She came up with a fundraising idea to help raise money that will help Friends Together raise the $50,000 that is needed to match a $50,000 anonymous pledge.

This month, the Alpena Police Department is selling the same uniform patch the police in Alpena wear, except with a pink lettering and border to honor cancer survivors and raise awareness of cancer. Each patch costs $10 and the funds will directly assist those in Northeast Michigan with cancer via Friends Together.

Police in Alpena will also wear the patches while at work for the month of October.

Mellberg said she raised the idea to her superior, Lt. Eric Hamp, who quickly agreed to move forward with the proposed fundraising project.

“I put it together and came forward to Lt. Hamp,” she said. “We talked about it, and we felt it was very important to bring awareness to the community.”

Hamp said helping to raise money and cancer awareness was an easy call, and he believes it is a project that everyone will support.

The patches are available at the Alpena Police Department until the end of the month from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“In a time where there is so much divide in our country, I think this is one thing we can all get behind and all be on the same page,” Hamp said. “We have all been touched by cancer in some way and we just wanted to do our part.”