GREENFIELD — Firefighters have a 9% higher chance of being diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general American population, according to research conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
That statistic became all the more personal for the Greenfield Fire Department, when retired Capt. John Whitney died as a result of brain cancer in July at the age of 56. Between the loss of Whitney and the barrier of cancer screening costs, Greenfield Firefighters Local 2548 was inspired to host a golf tournament at the Country Club of Greenfield on Monday, with half the proceeds raised going toward Whitney’s family and the other half going to the union to establish a Health and Wellness Fund for firefighters.
“The idea of the golf tournament was brought up prior to John’s passing,” said Matt Parody, acting lieutenant with the Greenfield Fire Department and vice president of Greenfield Firefighters Local 2548. “We were just talking, because doing cancer screenings is what this was mainly brought up [for].
“It’s expensive and we can’t afford to do them,” Parody said of cancer screenings. “There’s no backing for it, really. The [Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts] does what they can, but they can’t cover everybody.”
In 2025, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts partnered with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and launched Direct Connect for Firefighters. This initiative is now being offered across the country to firefighters, with a focus on three key areas: providing oncology content for training programs, offering clinical guidance on cancer screenings and early detection, and conducting research on tailoring cancer screenings and recommendations specifically for firefighters.
Cancer screenings range in price depending on what type of cancer the patient is being screened for. Screenings for lung cancer, such as CT scans, cost anywhere from $300 to thousands of dollars, based on whether it is a preventative screen (meaning the person shows no symptoms) or a diagnostic screening (meaning that the patient is experiencing symptoms), according to BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts.
“We did this as a Health and Wellness golf tournament, to be able to have our members afford cancer screenings every year,” Parody said.
Around $20,000 was raised at Monday’s golf tournament, with $10,000 going toward cancer screenings and $10,000 for Whitney’s family. Merrill Gagne, owner of Gagne Wealth Management Group, matched the $10,000 that was raised for Whitney’s family, meaning $20,000 will be sent to his loved ones.
Thirty-seven teams participated in the golf tournament. Each team had four members, meaning roughly 148 players participated in the scramble on Monday. Registration as an individual player cost $125, while registering as a team of four cost $500.
Also available to participants was the option of buying raffle tickets for different items and services, with some prizes including a Blackstone grill from Aubuchon Hardware and a Weber grill from Hamshaw Lumber. A lawn tractor/zero-turn mower from Greenfield Truck & Equipment was available as a prize if anyone got a hole-in-one on the 11th hole.
The firefighters union hopes to make this an annual event, with the union saying on Facebook that Whitney’s legacy will always be a part of this tournament.
“It was great having all of the people out there that came to support our cause,” Parody said. “A ‘thank you’ to everybody that was there is simply not enough. It was definitely very much appreciated. It was wonderful to have the support of the community.”
For firefighters in Massachusetts who are diagnosed with cancer, resources such as the Firefighter Cancer Support Network offer assistance. That organization can be reached at 866-994-3276 and found online at tinyurl.com/mujtf6nt.
“John’s passing was due to cancer,” Parody said, “and to get these screenings, if you can detect it early, then you can get treated and hopefully cured if you detect it early enough.”
