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SALT LAKE CITY -- Cancer impacts many Americans, and a California firefighter is on a mission to stop the disease.
Lorenzo Abundiz set out from Los Angeles on a 20,000-mile journey on Sept. 14. His goal is to travel to 72 cities in the United States and Canada collecting names of firefighters killed by cancer.
Firefighters say they are more vulnerable to cancer because of the situations they are placed in. A cancer survivor himself, Lorenzo wants to provide important information to his fellow firefighters, like early screenings.
"We're making a big impact on the war against cancer," Lorenzo says. "Unfortunately, I retired from the fire department, but here I am doing another kind of mission—hopefully saving other lives as well."
Lorenzo is making the trip in a fire engine equipped with a memorial bell and an empty seat -— both of which signify the loss of a firefighter.
Lorenzo has already made it to the East Coast and is now heading to Washington. CLICK HERE for more information about his journey and mission.
