PLANO, Texas — From Celina to Plano, a group of firefighters and family members walked 140 miles to raise awareness about occupational cancer. It's called Walk for the Red 140, and they started the journey on Thursday and finished on Sunday.
This particular walk raised money for eleven firefighters in North Texas who died of cancer or are currently battling the disease.
Jarrett Beshears, a Plano firefighter, was one of the leaders. He said, "I just want to make sure everybody out there knows this is a big deal. We're 17 percent more likely to get cancer than any other occupation."
Cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters.
Beshears walked in honor of his late coworker and friend, Gerald Don Becker. His fire family knew him as "Goon." The walk fell on the second anniversary of his death.
Becker was with Plano Fire-Rescue for 37 years. He died of malignant melanoma in March 2020 at 62 years old. He was Plano's first cancer-related line-of-duty death.
Becker's wife, Marian, also attended the walk. She said, "It's such a horrible disease. It's horrible to watch someone that you love so much just deteriorate in front of your eyes." She said the pain will never go away.
Marian is grateful for the support she continues to receive from firefighters. "Don always tried to tell me that you're part of the family now. And he said it's a brotherhood, and he said they'll always be there for you."
Walk for the Red 140 is an example of how they continue to help Becker's family. "All the money we raise is going to the families," said Beshears.
Beyond fundraising, the goal is to raise awareness to fight for local and legislative change for firefighters with occupational cancer. That's why they did 140 miles, so people can see and ask about why they are walking.
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Firefighter Joseph Warne who created Walk for the Red 140 also attended. He lives in Michigan, but started his career in Celina. He thought it was timely to bring it to North Texas after his former Celina fire captain passed away from cancer.
"It's not just lung cancer. It's thyroid cancer, brain cancer, it's all kinds. It's a big problem, and we're doing everything we can to prevent it, but it's a losing battle right now," said Warne.
While 140 miles is a lot, Warned said, "If you start to think about what these [firefighters] are going through and what they are battling, it's really nothing."
Family members of multiple firefighters were honored during a ceremony. They share a grief that is unbearable, but hopefully preventable for current and future firefighters.