The 100 Club of Buffalo is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving local law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service agencies, as well as their families. Established in 1957, the 100 Club began with the goal of providing cash assistance to the families of emergency responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Over the years, we have expanded our services to include scholarships, educational assistance, annual awards, and more, all aimed at supporting the heroes and first responders of Western New York.
Thank you to all of the individuals over the years, past and present, who have supported us in various ways. Whether it be signing up for a membership, making a donation, attending an event, or other means; your time, contributions, and generosity have been instrumental in fulfilling our mission of ~ serving those who serve ~
As today is National Nonprofit Day, we are seeking your support. The 100 Club is in need of members to join us and become part of a strong network of supporters. By becoming a member, you can help us increase our capacity to provide essential services to those brave individuals who risk their lives for the safety and well-being of our community. Together, let’s continue to make an impact in honoring and supporting the sacrifices our local heroes make every single day.
Become A Member
The 100 Club offers four different membership options. Categories are as follows:
- Active & retired first responders: 1 membership
- Single: 1 membership
- Dual: 2 memberships
- Family: 4 memberships
In additional to individual memberships, we also offer corporate memberships with a variety of benefits when you join, including a table to our Hero Awards Dinner, car emblems, and foursomes for our golf tournament. Learn more and sign up for a membership here.
You may be wondering, what exactly does the 100 Club do to help support emergency first responders and their families? Our major efforts to support families include the three programs: Fallen Hero, Hero Awards, and Scholarship of Excellence. Continue reading to learn more about these programs, and how they make a significant impact for Western New York emergency first responders and their families.
Fallen Hero
One of the major initiatives of the 100 Club of Buffalo is the Fallen Emergency Service Provider Program (FESP). Through this program, the 100 Club offers pro-bono legal assistance and financial assistance for families, along with financial assistance for funeral arrangements and burial expenses.
In addition, The 100 Club also assists families when making a death benefit claim under the Public Safety Benefit Program (PSOB). This program of the department of justice provides benefits to survivors of first responders.
Over the years, we have distributed over $4 million to families of fallen first responders. Learn more about our Fallen Hero program here.
Scholarship of Excellence
The 100 Club provides Scholarships of Excellence of up to $2,000 to high school seniors and full time college students who are the children of, or are themselves active law enforcement, fire or emergency service providers who plan to continue their education at a college level.
To be considered, applicants must meet a specific criteria. Learn more about the 100 Club scholarship of excellence program and candidate requirements here.
Hero Awards
Our Hero Awards Dinner is our biggest event of the year. This annual dinner is held to recognize and award Western New York first responders, or civilians, for demonstrating life-saving work or significant acts of service. Hero award recipients receive a cash stipend to offset expenses, a pin suitable to wear on there uniform or lapel, and a memento from The 100 Club.
Every year, we receive a handful of hero nominations. It is never an easy decision to select the winners. There are countless emergency responders in the Western New York community that deserve an award for the daily sacrifices and risks they make on the job to protect others. However, after carefully reading through all of the remarkable stories, we eventually have to select our winners.
Recently, we held our 23rd Annual Hero Awards Dinner in April at Samuel’s Grand Manor. Thank you to all who contributed by purchasing tickets, tables, or making donations to support this meaningful event. The turnout was outstanding, and it was an evening filled with warmth, inspiration, and recognition of the incredible individuals who continue to make our community a safer place.
For more details and a recap of the 2023 Hero Award Winners, please click here. To learn more about The 100 Club Hero Awards, please click here.
As a nonprofit organization, The 100 Club of Buffalo relies on the support of community members in order to increase our capacity in serving those who serve. For more inquiries or information, please reach out to Executive Director, John Cleary, at 716-435-6810 or john.cleary@100clubbuffalo.org.
