NFL Commish Grants Bucket List Wish For Firefighter With Cancer

TARRYTOWN, NY — A bucket list wish for a firefighter who is battling brain cancer will be fulfilled, thanks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Bill Duggan, whose friends had set up a fundraising website to try to carry out his wish to attend the Super Bowl, was asked to go to the fire station Sunday morning for another interview.

Duggan was surprised to see Goodell there and was further surprised when the commissioner presented him with four tickets to Super Bowl LII, the Journal News said.

A Journal News story about what Duggan’s friends were trying to do was seen by NFL officials, which eventually led to the offer of tickets.

Duggan, who is known as Fire Chief Bill, is a Mount Kisco resident and was the assistant volunteer fire chief in 2002-03 and volunteer fire chief in 2004-05 in Valhalla. He was also with Tarrytown's Hope Hose Co. No. 1.

Duggan describes himself as a Patriots fan.

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Goodell said the NFL wanted to make sure he was going to the Super Bowl, but said he couldn’t make any other promises, boston.cbslocal.com said.

“So you’re going, I don’t know if the Patriots are going, but you’re going,” Goodell said.

The GoFundMe page has raised almost $12,000 as of Monday, Dec. 11. The money raised will help pay for additional costs associated with the trip. Any remaining funds will go directly to Duggan to help pay for medical expenses and funeral costs, organizers said.

Duggan told FIOS1News.com going to the Super Bowl was something he always wanted to do, but asked his friends to take it down, but they persisted.

“I’m going to take in as much as I can … and just enjoy myself,” he said.

For more go to Journal News, boston.cbslocal.com and FIOS1news.com.

Photo caption: Bill Duggan with his grandson. Photo credit: Courtesy.