A Portage la Prairie resident is gearing up to take some very meaningful steps all across the province.
Andrew Cherkas, a former Winnipeg firefighter and current Aircraft Rescue Firefighter at Canadian Base Operators at Southport, is organizing a walk called Stepping in Support for 1977. His mission: raise awareness and funds for firefighter mental health services across the province. Cherkas said the idea came to him on a walk of all places.
“This is something I’ve struggled with for years. Walking has been a huge source of healing for me. One day, I was out with my dogs and the idea just popped into my head, what if I could go for a big walk and help others?”
The walk will stretch roughly 500 kilometres from the Saskatchewan border to just past Falcon Lake, all along the Trans-Canada Highway. According to Google Maps, the journey is 499 kilometres from the Welcome to Manitoba signs on the Saskatchewan side to the same sign at Ontario. Cherkas plans to walk about 60 kilometres per day over ten days, which is no small feat. At roughly 1400 steps per kilometre, Cherkas may take as many as 700,000.
“I’ve done marathons and strongman competitions, but this is a whole different challenge. Blisters, fatigue, yeah, I’m expecting a tough go. But I’m looking forward to it.”
Cherkas is walking in memory of Preston Heinbigner, a Winnipeg firefighter with badge number 1977, who died in connection to mental health struggles just over a year ago. The fundraising goal is to someday get to $197,777.77 and it's all in Preston’s honour.
“After I left the department in Winnipeg, I was shocked at how many members reached out to me, 15 to 20 conversations at once, colleagues sharing their own struggles. It made me realize how big the need is.”
The funds raised through the GoFundMe campaign will support firefighters across Manitoba, career, volunteer, and paid on-call.
“We don’t check your pay at the door when the house is on fire, and we’re not going to here either,” said Cherkas.
He’s in the process of forming a not-for-profit organization, with a board made up of firefighters from across the province, to help distribute funds quickly and without red tape.
Cherkas emphasizes that this is about more than just raising money.
“Some guys just need someone to talk to. Others may need time off work or professional help. Whatever it is, we want to make that support as easy to access as possible.”
Cherkas plans to use the time off he has scheduled in September to make the journey which is expected to start on the 13th. The local resident has already received support from fire departments along the way with plans for many of them to participate while he is passing through their area. Cherkas, a former Portage Terrier, plans to use the next few months to train for the walk which he hopes to complete in 10 days or less.