LEWISTON – Former “Leave It to Beaver” star Jerry Mathers will be in Lewiston Tuesday as part of the “Help is Here Express,” a drug company-sponsored bus that tours the country providing information about programs that offer low-income patients prescription drugs for free or nearly free.

Mathers, who played “the Beaver” in the iconic TV show, has diabetes and travels with the bus to raise awareness about the disease.

The bus will stop at Simones’ Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday as part of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, a nationwide effort sponsored by pharmaceutical research companies to raise awareness about patient-assistance programs.

People can get information about programs designed to help low-income and uninsured patients buy prescription drugs. People also can get information about new medications being developed to fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The bus and Mathers will stop in Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Houlton on Monday and in Bangor on Tuesday. On Wednesday the bus – without Mathers – will stop in Rumford from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hannaford Supermarket on Waldo Street, and in Bridgton from 1 to 2:30 p.m at the Food City Supermarket on Main Street.

To get the best information about prescription programs available, visitors should bring an up-to-date list of their medications.

Information is also available at www.pparx.org or by calling 1-888-4PPA-NOW.