07/08/2026
In what will be the culminating donation for the Retired Professional Fire Fighters Cancer Fund Inc., we must too wrap up the Battle of the Bravest Charity Hockey Game Community page and pass the torch of event organization onto a new generation.
What started as a weekly floor hockey game then graduated to pond hockey and eventually onto the ice of the Chenango Ice Rink. The Broome County Firefighters Hockey Team was born and the Binghamton Fire Hockey Team stepped up to the challenege of a friendly game that would raise funds for something near and dear to everyone involved in the event, cancer research. Bill Newland's Retired Professional Fire Fighters Cancer Fund Inc. would be the beneficiary of the event and over $100,000 would be donated from the event over the course of 11 years thanks to the hard work, commitment and generosity of so many in our community.
After 20yrs of incredible work and a successful mission of funding promising and established cancer research centers, the cancer fund will be ended and Bill will move into full retirement mode. We cannot thank him enough for all of his hard work and what his efforts mean to the future of cancer research and treatments. You and your team are amazing Bill, thank you and great job!
The Battle of the Bravest Charity Hockey Game took place this year for the first time with some new names and faces at the helm. According to the new organizers, there will also be a new beneficiary of the charity event as we come together each spring to raise funds for the Tunnel to Towers foundation. They have been an amazing organization and even stepped in to help families in our community in times of need. Its an honor to see the future of this game tied to such a wonderful organization.
2025 was an extremely tough year for the Binghamton Fire Dept. and all of those in the firefighting community of the southern tier. After such a rough year and my attention needed elsewhere it was a tough and coincidentally timed decision to ask others to step into the role of organizing the event as Bill announced he too would be stepping away with the culmination of his cancer fund.
This event, the gathering of our community, the fun times had and the impact we were able to have on cancer research has been amazing. I tried to do so all along the way but thank you all again for all your hard work and dedication to the success of the event. Every player, referee, scorekeeper, announcer, special guest celebrity bench coach, anthem singer, 50/50 worker, bagpiper, bartender, table staff, donor and event attendee...thank you.
Continue to support the Battle of the Bravest on the new FB page ( https://www.facebook.com/share/18sb2wV4CQ/ ) and I look forward to being able to enjoy the pre and post game festivities with you all in March. Congratulations Bill and again thank you all for all the hard work.
