Mass. Firefighters Add Peabody's Rice to Ring of Honor in Boston

Fallen firefighter James Rice and 22 other Bay State firefighters who recently died will be honored Tuesday in Boston along with firefighters who died 11 years ago at the Twin Towers.

Fallen Peabody Firefighter James Rice's name will be added to the Ring of Honor Tuesday night outside the State House along with 22 other firefighters' names. The Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial Board will hold its annual ceremony at Ashburton Park at the State House to remember the victims of Sept. 11, 2001 and Bay State firefighters who have recently died. Along with Rice, Worcester Firefighter Jon Davies' name will also be added to the memorial -- both men were killed in the line of duty within weeks of each other this past December. Tuesday's ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and includes a procession of firefighters, pipes and drum bands and honor guards and the reading of the 23 new names added to the brick ring that surrounds the…

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Team Ricey Mixes it Up With the Spartans

Firefighters and friends prepare for Spartan Race this weekend to support family of Jim Rice.

For the past six months, the 13 members of Team Ricey have been training with tires, sledgehammers, kettlebells, stairs and more to get ready for the Spartan Sprint this weekend. The race itself, which is approximately three miles and more of an obstacle course than a straight out run, looks like it comes right out of the world of the gladiators. Competitors climb over walls -- wooden, mud and wet ones, crawl under barbed wire fences, climb ropes while sliding on greasy footing, slog through mud and water -- maybe even an ice bath, all the while fending off attacks from "Spartans." In this case, Chris Dowling says he and his teammates will have to leap over flames too and go up against collegiate football linemen. In some cases, Spartans …

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Brothers Forever: Local Firefighters, Crowd Runs to Support Rice Family

Saturday's rain didn't turn away a large contingent of runners, including many firefighters, from the 5K, starting and finishing at the Captain Samuel Brown School.

It poured Saturday, and even the possibility of some flooding didn't discourage the 244 runners and walkers who signed up to hit the pavement in support of Jim Rice's family. That crowd included a large number of local firefighters. The Run for Ricey 5K and fun run/walk was held at the Brown School to benefit Rice's family. Rice, a veteran Peabody firefighter, died in the line of duty on Dec. 23. Peabody's Dan Vassallo took first in Saturday's 5K in a time of 16:18 while the first female finisher was another of Peabody's own: Katrina Gravel in third overall at 18:53. Awards were given out for best overall male and female finishers and by age group for both male and female.

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PHOTOS: Cars, Coffee and the James Rice Memorial Fund

The second annual NeXus New England car show visited Peabody Sunday and gathered support for fallen Firefighter James Rice's family.

NeXus New England kicked off its second annual Cars 'n Coffee show Sunday, this time coming all the way up from Framingham to Peabody to benefit the family of fallen firefighter James Rice. The parade of vehicles arrived in the rear parking lot of the Northshore Mall by Sports Medicine North and donations were collected both in Framingham and Peabody for the James Rice Memorial Fund established by Peabody Firefighters Local 925

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Brown School Runs for Ricey

Brown School parents are putting on a 5K and fun run/walk fundraiser to benefit the family of fallen Firefighter James Rice.

The Brown School is racing for "Ricey" June 2 -- for late Peabody Firefighter James Rice, that is. The 5K and milelong fun run/walk fundraiser, which will benefit Rice's family, is being organized by Brown School parents and is just the latest effort by the school community to support the family in the wake of tragedy. Rice died in the line of duty on Dec. 23, 2011. "The Brown School, as well as the city of Peabody, felt a great loss [that day]," said parent Lisa O'Connell -- the Rice family lives across the street and two of the children are students at the elementary school. "We want an event that brings family, friends and the community together to recognize his great service and sacrifice," she said. "The family will always have a …

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PHOTOS: Zumba for Rice at the Brown School

A full house danced and worked out with Rose Vaciliou in a gathering of Zumba fans at Brown School.

The gymnasium at the Brown Elementary School was packed Saturday with supporters for the family of fallen Firefighter James Rice and certainly a few Zumba fans as well. The fundraiser, which was put on by school staff as a 90-minute Zumba fitness class, benefits Rice's family via the James Rice Memorial Fund at North Shore Bank.

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Zumba for Rice

Get Zumba fit at the Brown School Saturday and help support the family of Peabody's Jim Rice.

The community at the Captain Samuel Brown School continues to rally around one of its families, months now after tragedy struck, claiming the life of father, husband and firefighter James Rice. This Saturday, staff at the elementary school are putting on a fundraiser and inviting the broader community to keep the support pouring in. Two of Rice's three children go to school at the Brown -- they live across the street. Rice was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 23, battling a three-alarm blaze at 5 Hancock St., and left behind his wife Amy and three children: Alyssa (12), Katelyn (9) and Ryan (7). Saturday's event is a 90-minute Zumba fitness class with a raffle, which will be held in the school gym from 11:30 a.m. on. Fourth grade teacher…

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The Markings of a True Hero

Earlier this month, Peabody Firefighter Jim Rice got one more tribute, this time from the American Red Cross with its Fallen Hero Award.

What makes a true hero? That may be difficult to define at times, depending on your point of view, but then there are others among us we recognize easily and label heroes. Firefighter James Rice is one of those. Rice gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on Dec. 23, fighting a three-alarm fire at 5 Hancock St. A dozen residents were also left homeless in the blaze at their apartment building. Rice was 42, a 10-year veteran in the department, a husband and a father of three young children. At Rice’s funeral, thousands of fellow firefighters and police officers from around the country filled Peabody Square on Dec. 30 to honor their fallen brother. The community turned out en masse as well, paying their respects to a man who died …

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Macy's Adds Latest Donation to Relief Fund for Rice Family

Corporate officers from Macy's presented the Fire Department with a $5,000 check Tuesday for the James Rice Memorial Fund.

Many people seem to have the false impression that a firefighter’s family is set for life on a pension if he or she dies, says Fire Chief Steven Pasdon, and that’s not the case at all. Pasdon gratefully accepted a $5,000 check Tuesday from Macy’s up at the Northshore Mall to go toward the James Rice Memorial Fund, which benefits Rice’s widow Amy and three children: Alyssa (12), Katelyn (9) and Ryan (7). Rice, 42, died in the line of duty Dec. 23 while battling a three-alarm blaze on Hancock Street just two days before Christmas. In the days since then, numerous donations have poured in from all areas of the community for a number of relief funds, including the one for his family, which was set up at North Shore Bank. The donation from Macy…

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Letter to the Editor

LETTER: City, FD Thank All for 'Outpouring' of Support After Firefighter's Death

Fire Department and city says thanks, especially to Peabody community, for "quick, compassionate and caring" response in wake of Firefighter James Rice's death in the line of duty.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. On Dec. 23, 2011, we tragically lost our beloved brother Firefighter James Rice in the line of duty. Our efforts immediately concentrated on caring for Jim’s wife, Amy, and their three children: Alyssa, Katelyn, and Ryan. The Rice family provided amazing strength to us during this time. As news of Jim’s passing spread across our fine city, the residents of Peabody united in strength. Immediately there was an outpouring of support at the fire stations. Donations to the Rice family and those affected by the fire at 5 Hancock St. streamed into the stations, banks and credit unions opened funds to support those in need, and businesses collected items and donated funds. Signs and banners decorated our …

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