Holiday Message from the Executive Director

Dear Members and Friends,

As we enter this season of reflection, I’ve been thinking deeply about the families at the heart of our mission. This month’s newsletter is a little different. Rather than many updates, we’re sharing two stories that speak to the love, resilience, and legacy carried by the families we are honored to support.

You’ll read about Ava Roy, daughter of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, whose strength and creativity offer a moving glimpse into her father’s life and the foundation he built for her. You will also see a remembrance of Officer Christos G. Rouses, the last Lowell Police Officer killed in the line of duty, and the community gathering held this November to honor his service — a family The Hundred Club supported more than four decades ago.

Together, these stories remind us why our work matters, and why your membership and generosity make such a lasting impact. So far this year, you have stood with us in support of 12 fire and police families who have lost a loved one. The year isn’t over, and we know there will be more. Your commitment ensures that we are ready to respond with compassion and immediate care when a tragedy strikes.

We will share more about the families you have supported during 2025 in the New Year. In the meantime, thank you for standing with us, with these families, and with all who serve.

Wishing you good health, peace, and connection this holiday season.

When you speak with Ava Roy, the daughter of fallen Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, you immediately feel the same quiet strength that so many people once recognized in her father. Ava is only sixteen, a high school junior, but her voice is steady, thoughtful, full of wisdom earned far earlier than life should require. Her grandparents sit beside her during our conversation — steady anchors, guardians of memory, the caregivers who have helped her navigate the unimaginable. Together, they paint a portrait of a father whose impact is still everywhere.

“He was the rock of our family,” her grandmother says, her voice warm but lined with grief even seven years later. “When he walked into a room, people noticed. He never tried to stand out — he just did.” At 6’5”, with a deep belly laugh and an ease that drew people in, Chris Roy seemed built both for service and for joy. He raised Ava as a single father while putting himself through UMass Amherst, earning a scholarship from the Isenberg School for the remarkable way he balanced school, work, and fatherhood.

He loved big – vacations with Ava to Disney, flying to beaches down South, road trips on a whim, days at New England beaches, and simple afternoons wandering the Brimfield Flea Market. He was a devoted son who visited his grandmother daily and admired her own perseverance so much that he tattooed the word — written in Russian — down his forearm. Perseverance became a theme in his life, a lesson he lived and quietly passed on.

At the firehouse Chris enjoyed cooking for his fellow firefighters.  “they loved his cooking” his father said smiling.

At home, he taught Ava everything from sautéing vegetables to the importance of patience — both in the kitchen and in life. He learned how to braid her hair, showed her how to swim, fish, and handle a bow for archery; encouraged sports, schoolwork, and trying hard even when things were difficult. He became both mother and father, raising a daughter who was, as she says: “a package deal with him.”

“He adapted to everything,” Ava says. “He always tried.”

A Grief That Becomes Purpose

Every December on the 9th, the Roy family gathers for a ceremony to honor Chris at the Webster Square Fire Station.  Worcester lost another firefighter in a city that has endured far too many. And a little girl lost the person who shaped her whole world. The support from firefighters, neighbors, and the community has never faltered. “We still meet people who say, ‘I knew your son,’” her grandmother says. “It’s been seven years, but sometimes it feels like seven minutes.”

Every December, the Roy family gathers at the Worcester Memorial to remember the nine firefighters killed in separate tragedies, including Chris. On the memorial stands a line Ava wrote for the court proceedings after her father’s death was ruled an intentional fire: “Every tear is a memory.” Her grandparents insisted those words be engraved — a child’s truth becoming part of the public record of grief and resilience.

“The Climb”: A Photograph, an Honorable Mention, and a Moment of Healing

Last year, Ava was given a simple assignment in photography class: take a few pictures and turn them in. But surrounded by classmates photographing horses, sunsets, and perfect suburban stills, she wanted something different — something with meaning.

She asked her grandparents to take her, and firefighters — including some not even on shift — showed up when they heard Chris’s daughter was coming by. They put on gear, raised the ladder of Ladder 4, the truck her father once drove, and invited her to climb on top of the rig to take her shot.

The moment comforted her more than she expected. “It brought me back to being little, when my dad brought me there,” Ava says. “Those guys were like uncles to me. Now I know they will always be there for me”.”

In the darkroom at school, while developing reel film by hand, her teacher saw something in the image and encouraged her to submit it to a regional competition. The photo — a firefighter climbing the ladder, framed in stark contrast — was titled “The Climb.” The name, offered by her teacher, resonated immediately.

“It felt right,” Ava says simply.

Out of 300 student submissions across New England, Ava earned an Honorable Mention — a rare recognition for a sophomore in a competition typically awarded to seniors. The photo now lives online at Ana Maria College’s New England Secondary School Design Competition, and in the hearts of everyone who sees it for what it is: a daughter’s tribute, whether she meant it to be or not.

What She Carries Forward

Now a junior, Ava is looking toward college — UMass Amherst, Bentley, Northeastern — with dreams of someday owning her own business. She isn’t sure what kind yet. She just knows she wants to love what she does, the way her father did.

She also carries pieces of him: the cooking, the archery, the patience, the perseverance — the quiet understanding that life is fragile and moments matter.

“You need to really be aware of your surroundings,” she says. “You may never get it back.”

In that sentence is everything her father taught her — the urgency to pay attention, to live fully, to honor what you have while you have it.

A Family’s Legacy, A Community’s Promise

As her grandparents explain it, the Roy family is simply continuing the foundation Chris built. “He built the foundation,” her grandmother says. “We’re just adding onto it with Ava.”

Your membership and charitable donations allowed us to be there for the Roy family in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and it allows us to be there for them today – supporting Ava in her extra-curricular activities, sending her birthday gifts and other annual remembrances, and soon providing college scholarships so that she knows her father’s sacrifice is never forgotten.

The Hundred Club is proud to walk beside them, ensuring they are never alone as they climb — through grief, through milestones, and through the years ahead — carrying forward the memory of a father, firefighter, son, brother, and friend whose light still shines brightly in his daughter.

On November 17, the Lowell Police Department dedicated a memorial Hero Sign honoring Officer Christos G. Rouses, who was killed in the line of duty on November 17, 1978. A 22-year veteran of the department, Officer Rouses was the last Lowell police officer to give his life while serving the community.

Born and raised in Lowell and a graduate of Lowell High School, Officer Rouses was known for his warmth, humor, and deep commitment to community policing long before it was a formal concept. Earlier on the day he died, he had been speaking to students at Lowell High School about knowing your neighborhood, treating people with respect, and building trust.

That afternoon, while assisting at a nearby fire, a silent alarm sounded at Limby’s Pharmacy. Officer Rouses responded immediately, pursued the fleeing suspect, and was shot during the struggle. He died a short time later at St. Joseph’s Hospital. His death sent a profound ripple of grief through the city.

At the recent dedication, former State Senator Steven Panagiotakos, Officer Rouses’s nephew, reflected on how deeply the loss affected both the family and the community. He spoke of the “pall that fell over Lowell” and the enormous show of respect from residents who lined the streets during the funeral. His remarks remind us that the impact of losing a first responder extends far beyond a single moment; it reshapes entire families and communities for generations.

The Hundred Club of Massachusetts was honored to support the Rouses family in the immediate aftermath of Officer Rouses’s death, providing comfort and financial support during an unimaginably difficult time. Their family’s story remains a powerful reminder of why our mission has endured for nearly seven decades.

Today, a bronze statue of Officer Rouses and a child stands outside Lowell Police Headquarters, and the new Hero Sign ensures that his service and sacrifice — and that of his family — will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Waltham! What a night of community, conversation, and connection! A huge shout out to everyone who joined us at our November Brewery Tour stop The Mighty Squirrel in Waltham. It was a wonderful night spent connecting with members, meeting new supporters, and sharing updates on how The Hundred Club continues to support families across Massachusetts.

We hope you will join us at our final Brewery Tour stop of the year!

This is a relaxed, welcoming evening with members, friends, and partners of The Hundred Club. Hear updates on our work, connect with others who support First Responder families, and help us grow this community of care.

Bring a friend, colleague, or neighbor — these gatherings are one of the best ways to introduce new supporters to the Hundred Club of Massachusetts.

As the year comes to a close, we invite you to renew your membership if you haven’t already — or join for the first time. Your support allows us to:

Provide immediate financial assistance to families following the death of a police officer or firefighter.

Offer long-term educational, wellness, and emergency support.

Ensure families know their loved one’s sacrifice will never be forgotten.

We would also be honored – if you are able – to consider the Hundred Club in your year-end charitable giving. As a 501c(3) non-profit organization, all contributions are fully tax-deductible. While our annual membership dues provide a significant portion of our annual expenses, we must raise additional funds from charitable donations, grants, events, and corporate sponsorships to cover our full costs. Thank you in advance for considering additional support!