For the fourth year in a row, Nanton Firefighter, Shawn Wiebe, is going to make the trek up the 1,205 steps of the Bow Building in downtown Calgary this May.

It's part of the "Firefighter Stair Climb Challenge."

Wiebe says all the money raised goes to Wellspring Calgary, which is a cause near and dear to his heart.

"It's a facility in Calgary that helps firefighters and civilians who are dealing with cancer and it helps the family members. It teaches them how to cope with dealing with this situation with their loved one's with this devastating disease."

Shawn Wiebe (L) and the rest of his crew from Nanton preparing for the climb in 2018. Photo courtesy Shawn Wiebe.

He says it's a sacrifice he's willing to make to help fellow firefighters battling cancer.

"All the unburned smoke or carbons and stuff like that, it sticks to our gear. And if we don't get that washed or professionally cleaned or whatever, that actually starts to soak into our skin. And then that is what gives us firefighters cancer. It's about 60 per cent of firefighters in their career, will get cancer, possibly."

To donate to Wiebe go to the Firefighter Stair Climb Challenge main page, or to the Nanton Fire Department's Pledge Page.

 

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