This year’s Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge in Calgary on June 8 holds special meaning for Cochrane Fire Services.
A record 21-member team will climb the 57 storeys of Brookfield Place in memory of Capt. Huw Jeffries, a respected leader and mentor who died last year from a cancer-related illness.
Firefighter Chris Chyka says Jeffries' impact on the department continues to be deeply felt, and this climb is their way of honouring him.
As of early Tuesday morning, the Cochrane team sat in second place for fundraising, with $11,141 raised so far. Donations are still welcome and can be made by visiting the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge website and searching for “Cochrane Fire Services.”
"We'd like to stay at least in second," said Chyka. "I don't know if we'll catch the first-place fundraiser, but we're doing really well this year."
Proceeds from the stairclimb support Wellspring Alberta, which offers a comprehensive range of programs and resources for people living with cancer and their caregivers. A portion also goes to the Firefighters Assistance Charitable Society (FACS), which works to strengthen and support the firefighting community.
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Chyka and fellow firefighter Derek Orr had originally planned to retire from the event after completing their 10th climb last year. But their respect for Jeffries changed that.
"Ten years is a long time to be running up and down these towers, but with what happened, we made a commitment to do it another year to make sure those support services are still in place," said Chyka. "Huw was 100 per cent of the motivation."
Jeffries was recognized in November 2022 for 30 years of service with Cochrane Fire Services, a milestone he called a special day.
"It's getting the appreciation from the community, from the employer, from my co-workers. It's phenomenal," he said at the time.
Jeffries joined Cochrane’s volunteer fire department on Sept. 9, 1991, at age 18, just shy of his 19th birthday. He was a key part of the department’s evolution into a full-time EMS and fire service, and played a role in the construction of the new fire hall that replaced the older station on 2nd Avenue, across from The Homestead.
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