A fun day at the fire hall will help Chris Day enjoy walks with his children.
North Saanich Volunteer Fire Department is opening its doors and chipping trees for a cause tomorrow.
“Every year we raise money for a Peninsula family in need,” said North Saanich firefighter Brian Thomas. “We try to find a family that we can help out and one of our members of our association brought the name forward.”
This year it’s the Day family.
Last January, the father of three young children was diagnosed with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis. He went from dancing last Christmas to now using a wheelchair part time and a cane full time. He hasn’t been able to return to his job with the District of North Saanich since June.
Through fundraisers, both by the family and the community, they came up with $15,000 for chronic cerebro spinal venous insufficiency, or liberation, treatment in California on June 29.
“I got some relief from that right away. I could feel my legs again. … It cleared up the brain a little bit,” Day said. “A month or so later, the symptoms started coming back.”
The kids, aged 4, 5 and 7, mostly understand what’s going on, because mom Christy sat them down and explained it.
“They know what’s going on. ‘Daddy’s got MS, Daddy can’t do this ‘cause he’s got MS,’” Chris Day said.
Half the funds raised by North Saanich fire will go toward his mobility.
“We’re going to put this towards the wheelchair I had to get. … They’re rather expensive things,” Day said. “If I go any further than a block or two I’m wheelchair bound. It’s my source of transportation if we go out. At least I can move around.”
The other half of donations during the open house and tree chipping go to Santas Anonymous.
North Saanich volunteer fire’s Christmas tree chipping and open house is Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Wain Road fire hall, 986 Wain Rd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It includes games, fire safety, food, tree chipping and truck rides for “kids of all ages.”
“Everything is by donation, and we will also pick up from residents of North Saanich and Sidney,” Thomas said. There is a minimum $10 donation for a pickup. “It’s just a lot of fun and hopefully we raise a lot of money for both causes.”
Call 250-656-1931 for tree pickup.
reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com