‘Leave it to Beaver’ star Jerry Mathers makes local visit

Leave it to Beaver to spread the word about access to cheap prescription medicines.



Jerry Mathers, 60, who played Beaver Cleaver in the 1950s-60s hit television show “Leave it to Beaver,” was in Utica Tuesday at the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency. Mathers was here in support of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance’s message that free or nearly free prescription medicines can be made available to many sick people in need.



Mathers said his role is to attract fans and media to the event in order to get people thinking about whether the program could help them, their friends or their relatives.



“The whole promotion is that we need to get the word out,” he said.



This program started in 2005, and in 2006, former talk-show host Montel Williams became the primary person who made public appearances. Mathers, who has diabetes, said he sometimes fills in and is making four stops in New York.



The star was accompanied by a bus with computer access that allows people to check whether they qualify for prescription aid. If people didn’t attend Tuesday’s event, they can visit www.pparx.org or call 1-888-4PPA-NOW to find out if they qualify, Mathers said.



Groups across the country make efforts to help fund prescriptions for people who apply for the program and don’t have insurance or other means to pay for prescriptions, he said.



“It is a really great thing,” he said.



Marion and Charles Lester of Ilion were among the fans who gathered to meet Mathers Tuesday. They said they’re fortunate enough to not need the program’s assistance, but they were supportive of Mathers’ message.



Charles Lester said he begins each day with a cup of coffee while watching “Leave it to Beaver.”



“It’s great to see the Beav out there promoting stuff like this for the welfare of the needy,” he said.