BOSTON – For decades, the 100 Club has come to the aid of families of fallen firefighters and police officers. And now, the group is looking for help of its own.
An aging membership could affect future donations meant for relatives who have lost loved ones.
Amy Rice, the widow of fallen Peabody firefighter Jim Rice, said the organization has been there for her since she lost her husband in 2011 just before Christmas.
“It was Christmas Eve, I don’t know how we went to bed the night before, and we woke up and for half a second I was like, OK, that was a crazy dream,” said Rice. “And then you realize it’s reality.”
Jim’s death left Rice without her best friend.
“Jim was pretty much the life of the party; he was very quiet. but when he did speak you listened cause it was always going to be funny,” she said.
And all alone to care for their three children.
“You get through the wake, you get through the funeral,” explained Rice. “And then everyone kind of leaves and goes back to their life. But all of a sudden, everyone else’s world is turning and ours is stopped.”