Rob Huth was honored to present President Joe Warne of Neighbors United with a sponsorship a gift to support the organization’s annual Walk for the Red. We are proud to support this fine nonprofit in advancing its mission.
Neighbors United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of volunteers with one goal: to make a difference in the lives of families in need—one at a time. “Our mission is to go to the greatest lengths to take care of those in the greatest profession, who make the greatest sacrifice.”
In 2019, Joe Warne, a firefighter from Macomb Township, MI and President of Neighbors United, had his passion ignited to help those in his own profession. After repeatedly hearing about brothers and sisters battling cancer, he learned that occupational cancer had become the leading cause of firefighter deaths, according to the International Association of Firefighters. That June, #walkfortheRED was born.
Following the first walk, Warne decided to make it an annual fundraiser—just as his own Captain was diagnosed with cancer. During that same time, Warne recalls delivering checks to firefighters in crisis. He met a 35-year veteran firefighter who “had no heat or stove” and another who “could not afford gas to get to his chemo treatments,” Warne said. Firefighters rarely share these struggles, as their lives are built around serving others. But Warne knew he could not overlook them.
Each year, Warne is joined on the walk by members of the Neighbors United team, fellow firefighters, and community volunteers. He vividly remembers a woman—raising her grandchildren in a modest home—who stepped outside and gave the team $20. Moments like these keep the mission alive, proving that when people come together, we can make a real difference for those who wear the uniform, despite the risks they face.
From 2019 through 2024, Neighbors United met nearly 300 firefighting families affected by cancer and provided over $900,000 in direct assistance. That number continues to grow, and our current goal is to raise enough to give each firefighter family up to $5,000 in support at our annual gala.
Learn more at walkforthered.org.
