Heroes in the Sky: hanging by a 'thread'

MapleLine Magazine: Sept. 11, 2010 << Back to Breaking News

SOOKE, BC - Sat. Sept.11, 2010. The skies and sidewalks were busy in Sooke town centre today as volunteers were hoisted up 100 ft. in the air for a fundraising effort by the Sooke Fire Rescue Service. The event is running 10 am to 10 pm alongside the popular 4th annual Great Chili Challenge (from 12 noon on) which raises funds for the Sooke Rotary.

The Sooke Fire Rescue Service also recently participated in the nationl The Fire Within calendar project. They did a photo shoot at Whiffen Spit as well as at the fire hall. The calendars will be given to each donor of $20 or more dollars at the upcoming Heroes in the Sky event on Sat. September 11 from 10 am to 10 pm. The all-collections-for-charity event will see up to 12 local dignitaries suspended from the fire department's ladder truck; all in good fun, the donations from onlookers will activate lowering of the dignitaries to the ground, foot by foot. Running alongside the 4th annual Sooke Lions Club Great Chili Challenge at 6639 Sooke Road (across from Evergreen Centre) with dunk tank, bouncy house, and family fair, the Heroes in the Sky event is drawing a crowd during the back to school season.

Photos above (Sept.11/01): Big crowd comes out for the combined Heroes in the Sky and Great Chili Challenge event. An entire family was strapped up (courtesy of Rick MacLeod, Sooke Fire Rescue Service) for hanging from the ladder truck. Photos by Jack Most

Photos below (Sept.11/10): Volunteers hanging from fire truck ladder - up and down, while Evan Parliament (Sooke District CAO) and Steve Sorensen (Sooke Fire Chief) look on. Photos by Donald C. Mills

Also read about upcoming controlled burns on September 20 to 24 -- the old Manuel Quimper Motel in Sooke will be used in a series of deliberately set fires as a training exercise for over 100 fire, police and insurance investigators. Read more. MM

Links:

>> Sooke Fire Rescue Service - blog page

>> Manuel Quimper - cartographer, explorer, naval officer

>> Mariner's Village - town core development in Sooke, BC

This page is sponsored by the MapleLine Journalism Program, starting its 2nd year of monthly workshops this September.