Firefighters in Arlington will flex their muscles this weekend to raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.
Arlington firefighters put their lives on the line every day, fighting fires. Six years ago, they lost one of their own to cancer, and the heartbreak sparked a new fight.
“Steve Porciello was one of the most loved deputy chiefs. Every time he walked into a room, everyone just smiled, he was always cracking jokes,” said Joe Donisi, a firefighter with the Arlington Fire Department. “He worked 32 years and he didn’t even get a chance to enjoy his retirement.”
“He got diagnosed right at the end of his career and then he lost his battle. I mean, it’s just not fair. He dedicated his whole life to service just for it to end that way,” Donisi continued.
Losing Porciello had a profound impact on the firehouse and the crew knew they had to do something to honor him. The firefighters decided host an annual fundraiser called “Pulling for Hope” to promote early detection and raise money for cancer research.
“We have a fully-loaded firetruck and the goal is to pull it 50 feet. Each team has a group of people that are pulling for a person either currently fighting cancer or passed away from cancer,” Donisi said.
Statistics show an increasing number of firefighters die each year from cancerous chemicals they’re exposed to while fighting fires.
“We’re constantly dealing with smoke, hazardous conditions. Firefighters are 10 percent more likely to get cancer than the average public, 14 percent more likely to pass away from it,” Donisi said.
Over the last six years, the firefighters have raised $40,000, and plan to continue the tradition to make even more.
“A fully-loaded firetruck weights about 40,000 pounds,” Donisi said. “Fighting cancer’s not easy, pulling this truck ain’t easy.”
Besides the truck pull, there will be live music and face painting. All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The event is set for Saturday at 10 a.m.
“We’re pulling for people that have passed away from cancer, we’re pulling for people that are fighting cancer, we’re pulling for future people, we’re pulling for hope that one day we don’t have to pull anymore,” Donisi said.
from Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
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