Community rallies behind local man seeking kidney donor at ‘Adam's March for a Match'
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – People from all over western Massachusetts came together to support a local man in his battle with kidney failure.
Friends, family, and the community gathered at Look Park on Sunday for Adam's March for a Match, walking to support Adam Gagne as he battles Stage 5 kidney failure.
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'I created a video telling his story and what we needed, and then I worked with two of his really good friends, longtime friends, Sue and Eric Dibrinkisi,' said David Jeffway, Adam's March for a Match organizer. 'We decided we needed to rally the community behind him because he has been such a big part of this community.'
Adam was unable to be in attendance, as he has been in the hospital due to complications, but he was present on a video call. People were able to speak with Adam, sharing how he impacted their lives and adding written messages to his support board.
Adam Gagne made a huge impact on his community, as he served as Scout Master for over 30 years. Now his scouts throughout the years are giving back to him.
'Scouting and obtaining that rank of Eagle is all about giving back and helping other people at all times, which is part of the Scout oath,' said Jeffway, who served as an Eagle Scout under Gagne. 'This is all of that on display. It is not just through the words, it's exactly what we learned in scouting.'
The event was also catered by Jake's in Northampton. The restaurant's owners, Christopher Ware and Alexander Washut, were also Eagle Scouts under Gagne.
'He was like an older brother, more so than a Scout Master, if you will,' Ware said. 'It was really a great time in our lives, so when we heard he needs this kidney, we thought we want to help him any way we could.'
Jeffway said the goals of the event are to find a living donor, raise money for Gagne and his family, and show him just how many people care about him. For more information on how you can become a living donor and test to see if you are a match for Adam, visit baystatehealth.org/living-donor.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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