For Jeff Harvey of Cypress County Emergency Services, the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge is about much more than climbing 1,370 steps.
“It’s just something that’s close to my heart,” said Jeff. “Raising money for a great cause after losing my dad in 2022 to cancer. It’s just something that I truly believe in, and I love giving back.”
Jeff lost his father to lung cancer in August 2022. Growing up, he watched his dad serve as a volunteer firefighter in Saskatchewan for more than 17 years.
“Watching him go out and help in the community and always giving back, it’s something that’s always stayed with me,” he said.
His father’s dedication to service helped shape Jeff’s own path. Today, he has proudly served as a volunteer firefighter for 19 years.
“If you can give back to the community, do it. Do what you can to help out,” Jeff said, recalling advice from his father. “When a call comes in, it’s somebody’s worst time in their lives. If you can be there to comfort them and help them, it was just a huge impact on us.”
One memory stands out above all others.
“The day my dad passed, we got called out for a car accident, and me and my twin brother both responded,” he said. “Dad would have wanted us to go.”
When they returned to the station, their department had lowered the flag in his father’s honour and left it there until after the funeral.
“That bond you get, it’s hard to describe. It’s such a tight family bond with your fellow firefighters.”
As he climbs, Jeff carries the memory of his father with him, along with the experiences of other loved ones affected by cancer.
“My mom was also a breast cancer survivor. I’ve had multiple family members and friends,” he said. “I just think of what they went through and use their spirit and their memory to push me through those times when I want to stop.”
For Jeff, the most emotional moment comes at the top of the climb.
“You get people giving you the high fives and the hugs and the congratulations,” he said. “You start talking and sharing stories. That’s when it really hits home that you’ve done it, you’ve raised the money, you know it’s going to a good cause.”
The cause is one that Jeff believes in deeply.
“I climb for my dad. I climb for the survivors. I climb for those still facing cancer.”
On Sunday, June 26, Jeff will join about 500 firefighters from across Alberta and beyond as they take on the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge in support of Wellspring Alberta. Funds raised through the event help Wellspring Alberta provide programs and services free of charge to people living with cancer, caregivers, and families across the province — helping ensure no one has to face cancer alone.
