Members of the Clive Fire Department will be heading to Calgary this June for the annual Wellspring Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge.
Participants will climb 57 stories — 1,370 steps — to help support Wellspring Alberta, an organization that offers free programs, support, and services to those living with cancer, caregivers, and family members.
Participants come from across Alberta and B.C. and from as far away as Ontario, Manitoba, and the NWT for the stair climb, which is set for June 9.
The community can help out by pledging support for an individual Clive firefighter or by donating to the group as a whole.
“This is our first year to do this — one of our members brought it up a few weeks ago. We thought, why don’t we open it up to whoever wants to go,” said Steve Zaytsoff, one of the department’s deputy fire chiefs.
“We’ve got six members who are more than happy to do it, so we signed up. We then started to set smaller, benchmark fundraising goals. The first was $3,000, but we got a crazy amount of donations right off the hop,” he said.
Over the past few weeks, and thanks to the generosity of the community, the firefighters have been able to bolster their goals much further.
“We’ve had an overwhelming amount of support,” he said, adding that most folks can relate to being affected by cancer in some way, and so they want to help out.
“We went from $3,000 to $5,000, and then we set it at $7,000. We are currently sitting at $8,300! We are now going to shoot for $10,000. It’s a big goal for a small department, but I think we can do it.
“If we can hit $10,000, I think our guys would be more than happy.”
Those wanting to contribute can head to https://give.wellspring.ca/fundraisers/CliveFireDepartment
Meanwhile, this year’s event will be held at Calgary’s tallest skyscraper — Brookfield Place.
Zaytsoff said some of the team members have started using stairclimbers at the gym to prepare.
“I’ve been doing treadmill work, as well as the stairs at the firehall,” he said.
“Lacombe Fire Department has also reached out to say that we could start training with them, too.”
It all builds on that sense of camaraderie this kind of event helps to bolster, he added.
“I think this is a fantastic thing for fire departments in general to do. I also think one of the biggest things about it is just seeing all of the fire departments coming together for one great cause, and to help people who are in such a vulnerable place.”
The Wellspring Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge was first launched in 2014 with guidance from Kathy Blas, who was inspired to create a legacy event for her brother, fallen firefighter Gord Paul.
Wellspring Alberta provides a range of support, resources, and programs for anyone living with cancer and the people who care for them to help improve the quality of their lives.
According to the website, the organization was founded in Toronto back in 1992 by Anne Armstrong Gibson, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1988.
“With the help and encouragement from some of the leading experts in the field of oncology, Anne worked with family, friends, and supporters to establish Wellspring, a charity offering psychological, emotional, social, spiritual, and informational support to individuals and families living with cancer.”
Again, to help support the Clive firefighters, click on https://give.wellspring.ca/fundraisers/CliveFireDepartment