This weekend, members of the Lloydminster Fire Department will be camping out on the rooftop of Fire Station Number One to raise money for ALS.
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease and it is a neurodegenerative disease where the nerve cells that control muscles die. ALS is a terminal disease which has no cure, nor an effective treatment.
“It’s actually quite dear to our heart to support the ALS Society. Back in 2013, one of our senior members of our department was diagnosed with ALS and ultimately passed away from ALS in December of 2013. It means a lot, it’s a way for us to remember him,” says Fire Chief Jordan Newton.
The firefighters will be on the roof from Friday at 5 p.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m.
“All of the firefighters have been watching the news intently to see what the weather ifs going to be and it actually looks like it’s going to be on our side this year but we have had some very cold years in the past and we wear lots and lots of layers,” says Newton.
Along with the campout there will be a Firefighter’s Brunch on Saturday from 8 until 11:30 in the morning at the Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre, tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the LGCC or at City Hall.
This is the fifth annual campout. To date, the Fire Department has raised over $100,000.
“Any money is good for the society, it would be nice to reach our goals from other years and get to that $30,000 mark,” says Newton.
In Canada, approximately 2,500-3,000 people are living with ALS. The lifespan after diagnosis is around two to five years.