Firefighters climb stairs at Brookfield Place to raise awareness and funds to fight cancer

Hundreds of firefighters climb the stairs of Calgary's tallest building to raise money for those affected by cancer. Tyler Barrow reports.

One year ago Sunday, Tony Cianfarani, a member of the Stettler Fire Department, was in a bad place – in hospital, with Stage 3 colon cancer.

“I had very bad infection from the chemotherapy, and I was very close to actually dying,” Cianfarani said. “I had a fever of 105. I spent three nights in the hospital, and I was on IV antibiotics.”

Sunday, Cianfarani was one of 500 or so firefighters who climbed close to 1,400 steps at Brookfield Place to raise funds to support Wellspring Alberta, an organization that helped him during his cancer treatment.

“I leaned on my firefighter family a lot when I was going through all this, and they were super supportive,” he said. “I also leaned on Wellspring, and these programs are there for people like us, and definitely use them.

“Don’t be scared to use them for sure.”

Calgary fire chief Steve Dongworth was among the firefighters climbing stairs Sunday and said that cancer is a reality for firefighters.

“We have an ongoing toll of firefighters who pass away during due to occupational cancers,” Dongworth said. “We’ve had over 50 now in Calgary. It’s unfortunately a number that keeps climbing. So there’s a real recognition (that) the hazards of firefightingcause cancer, for sure.”

Hundreds of firefighters from across Alberta, Canada and around the world joined the event Sunday to raise awareness and funds for Wellspring Alberta.

And one of them was Cianfarani, one year to the day after nearly dying.

“It’s just crazy that only a year later, I’m about to climb a skyscraper, and I’m in the best shape that I’ve been in in years since my 20s.

“So, yeah, it’s just It’s unbelievable that I’m actually here,” he added. “And I don’t think that the gravity of the of the events hit me yet, but I think when I get to the top of the stairs, it will.

Dongworth took the challenge too – and finished the 57-floors of steps.

“It wasn’t as much fun in the stairwell, but it’s okay,” he said. “It’s a very great cause. It’s great exercise.

“It’s a great day.”

All the support programs offered through Wellspring Alberta are free.

For more about the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge, go here.

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow