A group of Lethbridge firefighters spent the weekend camping out on the roof of a local restaurant in an endeavour to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
Muscular dystrophy is a classification of neuro-muscular disorders that weaken and break down muscle tissue.
The Lethbridge Fire Fighters Charities Association organized the camp-out which saw five firefighters spend three nights on top of Hudson’s Canadian Tap House on Second Ave. S. Throughout the weekend there were several fundraising events including breakfasts, barbecues and an ongoing raffle inside of Hudson’s.
Brent Nunweiler said what he needed the most after the camp-out was “a shower.”
“Seventy-two hours is a long time to be away from my family, but we raised a lot of money, so we’re pretty happy.”
And raise a lot of money they did — upwards of $15,000, according to Nunweiler.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, the Lethbridge Fire Department’s union, has supported MD Canada for over 60 years, raising over $90-million for the cause according to Alex McIntosh, a local firefighter whose wife was recently diagnosed with the disorder.
Before their ascent to the rooftop on Thursday afternoon, McIntosh said they were feeling lucky as far as the conditions they were going to be dealing with.
“In years past, they’ve had to deal with minus 30, snow, wind and all that. I’ve been checking and it looks like we might get a little lucky this time.”
And for the most part, they did have good luck, but Nunweiler said the weather was still a little challenging at times.
“The wind howled a little bit. We had to tie some tents down. The frost in the morning was a little chilly. It gets a little lonely up there, but we had five guys and it was lots of fun.”
The LFD’s annual MD Camp-out first took place six years ago on top of the roof of the Toys ‘R Us by Scenic Drive.
According to MD Canada, they have received support from 800 fire departments and associations across Canada, who currently raise over $3-million annually. That amounts to over 30 per cent of their total revenue.
