Dear Members and Friends,
As we begin a new year, I want to take a moment to say thank you. The work of the Hundred Club exists because of people like you — people who choose, again and again, to care about families facing unimaginable loss.
Whether you have renewed your membership, joined as a new member, come to a stop on our first every Brewery Tour, or included us in your year-end giving, your support allows us to respond with compassion and urgency to families find their footing in the days, weeks, months and years that follow their life-changing loss. I am deeply grateful for your generosity, your trust, and your belief in this mission.
On behalf of the families we serve and all of us at the Hundred Club, thank you for standing with us.
With gratitude,
Tracie A. Hines
Executive Director
BFit 2026: Team Hundred Club Takes the Stage
The Boston Bruins Foundation BFit Challenge is almost here – one of the most visible and important days of the year for the Hundred Club and the first responder community!On Sunday, January 25, 2026, TD Garden will once again fill with first responders, families, athletes, and supporters climbing thousands of steps in support of causes that matter. For Team Hundred Club, BFit is a moment when our community shows up publicly and in force.Over the years, Team Hundred Club’s participation in BFit has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support families of fallen police officers and firefighters across Massachusetts. These funds allow us to step in quickly after a loss, easing immediate financial pressure and helping families navigate what comes next.Registration is open, momentum is building, and there is still time to be part of this powerful day. Join Team Hundred Club or support a climber today. BFit Challenge powered by National Grid Online Registration.
Thank You, Andrew Staruk! The growth and visibility of Team Hundred Club at the BFit Challenge would not be possible without the leadership and commitment of Andrew Staruk.Andrew is a United States Air Force veteran and an active Worcester firefighter, and he has been deeply involved with Team Hundred Club for years. What began as his personal decision to climb in honor of fallen first responders has grown into sustained leadership that continues to strengthen our presence at BFit.Andrew has helped recruit climbers, mentor first-time participants, and encourage meaningful fundraising across the team. In recent BFit challenges, his efforts have helped generate tens of thousands of dollars in direct support for families of fallen police officers and firefighters. Just as important, he brings a steady, grounded presence that keeps the focus on why the climb matters.We are deeply grateful for Andrew’s continued leadership and for the example he sets year after year.
Welcome Sandra Montesino
We are pleased to welcome Sandra Montesino as the Hundred Club’s Director of Communications and Outreach.
Sandra’s connection to this work is deeply personal. Her father began his career as a police officer before later moving to the Waltham Fire Department, and two of her uncles also served as Massachusetts firefighters for many years. She understands the demands of the profession and the role families play behind the scenes.
In her role, Sandra will focus on strengthening communications, sharing timely updates, and helping more people understand how the Hundred Club operates and how to get involved, as well as encouraging new members and sponsors to join us.
Sandra has been married for 23 years, is the proud mom of two children, lives in Ashland, Massachusetts, and loves to cook. Welcome, Sandra!
In the News and in the Community
WBZ | CBS News Boston featured the Hundred Club this month in a moving feature story honoring fallen Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey.
The piece shared Paul’s life and legacy, while also highlighting how the Hundred Club was able to support his widow and family in the immediate aftermath of his death and beyond. It offers a clear look at how community support becomes practical help when it is needed most. We are grateful to both Kristin Tracey for sharing her deeply personal story and to Paula Ebben for her thoughtful approach to sharing this tragedy with viewers. Watch the full story on CBSNews.com.
Behind the Badge Podcast
The Hundred Club was also featured on the Melrose Police Department’s “Behind the Badge” podcast, where Executive Director Tracie Hines discussed the organization’s history and how support is delivered following the death of an active-duty firefighter or police officer.
Conversations like these help directly connect our work to the local communities served by first responders, explain our mission in a detailed, personal way and reach people who may be learning about the Hundred Club for the first time. Please take the time to listen and learn more about how the Hundred Club stepped up this past summer after the Melrose Police Department lost one of their own. Listen here.
Hundred Club Awarded the Community Service Award by the New England Police Benevolent Association
We were honored in December to be recognized by the New England Police Benevolent Association (NEPBA) at their Annual Awards and Holiday Dinner, where Peter Smyth, President of the Hundred Club, accepted a Community Service Award and a generous $5,000 donation on behalf of the Hundred Club. NEPBA is one of New England’s key law…
Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Awards
The Hundred Club of Massachusetts was proud to stand alongside the courageous men and women honored at this year’s Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Awards. More than 170 firefighters were recognized for acts of heroism and service across the Commonwealth — including Chicopee Captain Katie Collins-Kalbaugh, who received the Norman Knight Award for Excellence in…
Closing Out the 2025 Brewery Tour at Dorchester Brewing Company
We wrapped up the final stop of the Hundred Club’s 2025 Brewery Tour at Dorchester Brewing Company, bringing an energizing year of community gatherings to a close.
The Brewery Tour has been about more than visiting great local breweries. Each stop created space for conversation, connection, and shared purpose — giving supporters the chance to learn more about The Hundred Club, meet others who care deeply about this work, and show their support in a relaxed, welcoming setting.
Our gathering at Dorchester Brewing was a fitting way to close out the year. Friends old and new came together to share stories, ask questions, and reflect on the impact made possible through community support. We are grateful to Dorchester Brewing Company for hosting us and to everyone who joined us for this final stop of 2025.
Plans are underway for future Brew Tour stops, and we look forward to continuing these gatherings in the year ahead. More to come.
Coming Together During the Holidays
The holiday season can be especially difficult for families who have lost a loved one. Each year since it began nearly 70 years ago, the Hundred Club hosts a holiday gathering for our families who have lost a loved one in the line-of-duty, bringing our beneficiary families together during what can be a difficult time.
Many attend as extended families. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins often come together, sometimes ten, twelve, even fifteen relatives at a time. For some families, this gathering has become an annual tradition, creating space for connection, shared understanding, and a remembrance of their loved one. Our annual holiday party is one of the many ways we recognize and honor the sacrifice our families have made, bringing some joy in what is a very difficult and bittersweet season for those who have paid the ultimate price. Your support allows us to host events like this throughout the year – thank you!
Honoring Chief Stephen P. Frye
Each year, members of the Montgomery Fire Department and the Frye family come together on the anniversary of the passing of Chief Stephen P. Frye, a leader whose life was defined by service and commitment to his community.
Chief Frye died on December 6, 2017, at the age of 59, while responding to a house fire in Montgomery, Massachusetts. He was actively engaged in firefighting operations when he became ill and was transported from the scene for medical care. He passed away shortly thereafter.
Chief Frye served in the Montgomery Fire Department for 25 years, including more than two decades in leadership roles. Appointed deputy chief in 1997 and serving as fire chief beginning in 1999, he was known for his steady leadership and deep sense of responsibility to the town he served.
He was survived by his wife, Laurie, and his children, Karlyn and Matthew. His son Matthew, who shared his father’s dedication to the fire service, was among those responding alongside him that night.
Behind the Montgomery Fire Station stands a home-built memorial, created and maintained by the department as a place of reflection. Each year, firefighters, family members, and community members gather there to remember Chief Frye’s life and the example he set.
The Hundred Club is honored to stand with the Frye family and the Montgomery Fire Department, and we are grateful to Montgomery Fire Chief, Chris Galipeau, and the entire department for sharing photos from this year’s remembrance and for continuing this meaningful tradition.
With Gratitude for Extraordinary Leadership
The Hundred Club of Massachusetts owes a deep and heartfelt thank you to two extraordinary leaders whose steady guidance has shaped the organization for many, many years: Joseph Abley, Board Chairman, and Peter Smyth, Board President.
Long before the Hundred Club had an Executive Director, Joe and Peter carried the organization forward through dedication, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the families we serve. They stewarded the Club through years of growth and change, making sure our mission to honor and support the families of fallen first responders was not only protected but strengthened.
Our founder, Norman Knight, had the utmost confidence in Joe and Peter. He trusted them completely to safeguard the values on which the Hundred Club was built and to lead the organization with compassion and care. That trust was well placed. Even after Norman’s passing in 2024, his vision continues through the leadership and standards Joe and Peter upheld every step of the way.
Through their leadership, the Hundred Club earned a reputation for trust, compassion, and excellence that spans generations. They built strong relationships, upheld the highest standards of governance, and positioned the organization for long term sustainability. When the time came to hire our first Executive Director, Tracie Hines, the foundation they built made that transition possible and successful.
Joe and Peter’s impact cannot be measured only in years of service and countless of hours of volunteer service, but in the enduring respect the Hundred Club holds across the Commonwealth and beyond. We are grateful for their vision, their stewardship, and the legacy they leave behind.
Thank you, Joe and Peter, for everything you have given to the Hundred Club and to the families who will continue to benefit from your leadership for years to come.
Looking Ahead
Our 2025 Annual Report will follow in the spring and will provide a more detailed overview of our work and finances.
Thank you for staying connected and for being part of the Hundred Club. We are honored to begin this year of service!