A trio of Cochrane firefighters is aiming high – really high – to help Alberta soldiers in need.
Since January, Capt. Martin Reuter, along with firefighters Jason Hamel and Dave Levisky, have been counting their steps up and down, up and down, up and down the four-storey practice tower that rises above the Cochrane Fire Services building on Grande Boulevard.
Their goal? To climb the equivalent of the top three most menacing mountains on Earth.
“We’re doing the world’s tallest peaks,” said Levisky, referring to the giant mountains of Nepal – Everest and Kangchenjunga – the first and third tallest, which clock in at 29,029 and 28,169 feet – and K2, the second, which blocks out the sun at 28,251 feet and sits on the border between Pakistan and China.
Dubbed the 3 Peaks Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge, the co-workers will have climbed the equivalent of more than 86,000 feet when they’re done.
“It is a large commitment of time and energy,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of time to think in the tower.”
All that punishment is for a purpose – to raise money for the Calgary Veterans Food Bank, an organization Levisky said he and his colleagues first heard about last year.
He was saddened to learn that Canadian soldiers of all ages were struggling to make ends meet here at home after contributing such critical service to their country abroad.
“I was just so surprised that veterans were even in a position to need a food bank,” said Levisky, adding he also had a misconception that veterans are only of the older generation, from conflicts like the Second World War and Korea.
“It’s actually the young guys coming out of Afghanistan with families. The economy hit hard – there’s a lot of impacts for them.”
To show his support, Levisky – who tackles the stairs in his bunker gear with full pack – has been climbing 20 flights of stairs, three to four times a week, for the last 10 months.
It takes him about an hour for each cycle.
“I need to do that 30 more times. I just finished up the two mountains and I’m a third of the way up the third one. We’re just on the final push to get it done,” Levisky said, adding with a smile, “It’s highly recommended if you want to get your legs in shape.”
In addition to a 3 Peaks Firefighters Challenge fundraising page at www.gofundme.com/3peaksstairclimb, where people can donate anytime, Cochrane artist MJ Stead will also auction off an original poppy-themed painting to help raise money for the cause.
“This is something I have the ability to do that can hopefully raise some money and awareness and help them out,” said Stead.
Levisky and his crew have set up a fundraising page for the 3 Peaks Firefighters Challenge at www.gofundme.com/3peaksstairclimb.
As a bonus, the firefighters will climb another one metre for every additional dollar donated between now and Nov. 10.
Non-perishable food items can also be dropped off anytime in a marked bin outside the fire services building.
