White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association

Tree Chip - 2012

2011-12-13T10:02:00.001-08:00

January 2nd 2012 - Tree Chip, 10am - 4pm

Once the holidays are over, come out and chip your Christmas tree for charity. White Rock Fire Fighters will be out all day at Centennial Arena, White Rock, serving up hot dogs, refreshments, and chipping trees by donation.

All proceeds go to the Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund and to the White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association.

http://www.whiterockcity.ca/EN/main/community/events/events/4698/15661.html

Auxiliary Fire Fighters Food Drive!

2011-12-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

Come out and support our Auxiliary Fire Fighters!

Date & Time: December 17, 2011 (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM)

When: Saturday, December 17 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Where: Buy Low Foods, 1405 Johnston Road

Food and financial donations will be greatly appreciated.

http://www.whiterockcity.ca/EN/main/community/events/events/4689/16877.html

Pancake Breakfast 2011, a huge success!!

2011-12-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

The White Rock Fire Fighters would like to thank all of those who came out to the fire hall on the 3rd to take in this years Pancake Breakfast.

This years breakfast was one of the most successful to date.

The event raised close to $3500 that will go directly back into the White Rock community.

Fire Fighters sold 687 breakfasts and 142 Santa photos. "This was pretty much the most successful breakfast ever! It was pretty incredible to see those kids get so excited when Santa arrived on White Rock E2." Said Evan Bird from the White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association.

The ginger bread house was a huge hit once again. FF Scott Hamilton designed another beauty. Emma Rehanek was the lucky girl who took home the top prize.

White Rock FF Richard Mann had his hands full as well. He was signing and selling Hall of Flame calendars at the front entrance. He managed to bring in $200 for the BC Profession Fire Fighters Burn Fund with the sales.

The members of Local 2407 and the White Rock Fire Department would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the family, friends and citizens that came out to make this great community event a huge success again this year.

A special thanks must go out to the following
supporters as well:

Mike and Rob at Buy Low Foods, White Rock
Shawn, Chris and girls from Art Knapps
The ladies from Foto Source Reids, White Rock
Hillcrest Bakery
Turkey House
Penguin Meats
Jobes Daughters
21st South Surrey Scouts
Dave Chesney
Councilor Larry Robinson
Haylee Wooten
The City of White Rock

12th Annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa is Back!!

2011-11-21T09:27:00.001-08:00

December 3rd 2011 - Pancake Breakfast with Santa, 8am - 12pm

WHITE ROCK, BC - Pancakes, bacon, sausage and Santa - oh my!

It's time again for White Rock Firefighters' Breakfast with Santa! The event, in its 12th year, is a fundraiser for the White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association. And it's also a perfect opportunity for children to help Santa get an early start on his Christmas list!

Please join us at the White Rock Fire Hall!

8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 3, 2011
15315 Pacific Ave.
White Rock BC
Local 2407

Firefighters promise to wake up bright and early to set up and get cooking! The menu includes pancakes, sausage and bacon, juice, tea and coffee. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Other activities include photos with Santa, children's colouring books, Hall of Flame Calendar signing, gingerbread house raffle, music and tons of fun!

The White Rock Fire Fighters would like to thank the following people for their support:

Buy Low Foods, White Rock
Art Knapp's
Hillcrest Bakery
Foto Source Reid's
Buchanan Printing
Penguin Meats
Turkey House
The City of White Rock

White Rock Fire Fighters Doing Their Part at Bright Nights!

2011-11-21T08:33:00.001-08:00

http://vancouver.ca/parks/events/brightnights/

The White Rock Fire Fighters were braving the elements at Stanley Park, in order to take part in setting up for the biggest annual Burn Fund Fundraiser...Bright Nights! As is common on set up days, it was cold and wet! The White Rock guys joined forces with crews from Port Moody's local, setting up displays and putting up thousands of lights.

You can catch the White Rock members on December 12th, where they will be manning the entrance at the 14th annual, Bright Nights in Stanley Park.

Princess Party Raises $10,200 For the White Rock Fire Fighters Chartiy Association!

2011-11-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.peacearchnews.com/community/133968228.html

New White Rock Fire Fighters Official Web Page

2011-04-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Check out the new official web page of the White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association..... http://www.wrff.ca/

Gordon Hogg, MLA South Surrey-White Rock, will attend Variety Show of Hearts!

2011-02-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

MLA Gordon Hogg will be joining the White Rock Fire Fighters, Local 2407, at this year's Variety the Children's Charity Show of Hearts.

"Mr. Hogg has always been an amazing supporter of our charity work with Variety. He is an incredible individual who has done so much for our entire community! It did not surprise me one bit when he showed enthusiasm towards the idea of joining the Shore2Shore team when we present our final cheque," said Shore2Shore leader, Eric Kameka.

The Shore2Shore group will be taking the stage at the Variety Show of Hearts from 8am - 10am, this Sunday February 13th.

Along with Gordon Hogg, Damian O'Hagan, store owner of Peninsula Cycles, will be joining 8 of the fire fighters.

"Damian was a monster part of Shore2Shore. Not only did he come along on the ride and log in some huge miles on the road, he also somehow found the energy to maintain all the team bikes every evening! Between Dam, Les and the rest of the guys at the store, we owe them a huge thank you! Those guys were an unbelievable help to the overall success of the ride. We are stoked that Damian will be a part of the final chapter of Shore2Shore this weekend," said Kameka.

Keep your eyes open for the Shore2Shore team! The group will be answering phones, taking pledges and donating a cheque for $45,513. With the $20,000 that was donated last year, the event totalled $65,513!

Local 2407, White Rock Fire Fighters join forces and sponsor the Rotary Club of White Rock!

2011-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association has made an exciting commitment to be one of the top sponsors for the Rotary Club of White Rock's Lobster Fest. The fest will be taking place at Eaglequest Coyote Creek Golf Course on Saturday, May 28th at 5:30pm.

"We thought that this would be a tremendous event to be a part of. We are currently looking at revamping some of our charity efforts over the next couple of years and this fits the bill perfectly! All proceeds from the event are going right back into the community, with funds going to support the new Centre for Active Living in the curling rink at Centennial Arena. We couldn't be more excited to know that we will be helping such an amazing project be successful", said Eric Kameka of the White Rock Fire Fighters Charity.

An expansion of the Peace Arch Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation program, the Centre for Active Living will directly benefit people with chronic illness such as diabetes, arthritis, and congestive heart failure. It's aim is to slow the progression of chronic disease and to expedite recovery and improve outcomes after surgery. The 12,000 sq. ft. Centre will include two new fitness rooms, two exercise studios and an education room.

The White Rock Fire Fighters will be one of the three main sponsors for Lobster Fest, along with Scotiabank and Surrey Honda.

For more info about Lobster Fest, please contact Mark Hambrook at mhambrook@shaw.ca.

Shore2Shore slotted for this years Show of Hearts Telethon.

2011-01-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

After raising over $70,000 for Variety the Children's Charity this year, the White Rock Fire Fighters and the members of Shore2Shore will be sitting on the Heroes Panel at this years Show of Hearts Telethon.

The fire fighters are slotted for 8am-10am on Sunday, February 13th. Tune in to Global BC to watch the event and make your donation!

2011 Tree chip brings in big funds for local charities!

2011-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

Despite some confusion about the date of this year's tree chip event, everything ended up going smoothly and it was a huge success!

White Rock Fire Fighters, Local 2407, managed to raise more than $5,500 for local charities!

Thanks so much for all of those that attended, as well as the sponsorship of Tall Timber Services, Buy Low Foods, BFI Waste Management, and Vancouver Landfill.

Pancake Breakfast a huge success again!!

2010-12-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone that attended this years Pancake Breakfast. We had over 630 people for the event, coming close to the record of 700 a couple years ago. Everything went very smooth and Santa made a classy entrance on one of the White Rock Fire trucks with full lights and siren!

Congrats to the Smith brothers who took home the top prize of the day winning the gingerbread house!

Pancake Breakfast is back.....

2010-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

The White Rock Fire Fighters would like to invite you and your family out to the fire hall for pancakes and pictures with Santa.

December 4th, from 8am until noon! $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Proceeds go to support the Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund.

Restored Studebaker finds it's way back to WRFD.

2010-11-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Youth Ambassadors Raise Funds for Shore2Shore!

2010-11-05T11:28:00.001-07:00

More pics.....Final Day!

2010-09-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

FAMILY SUPPORT!!

S2S support crew, Captain Barry Moore and Terry with his grand daughter Clara! Two more guys that we couldn't have done with out!

The official Pacific Ocean wheel dip.

Mayor Ferguson called the S2S Team up on stage!

Maximum Collision and Parfour Signs put this together and tailed the caravan into town. Thanks for all the support from both Parfour and Maximum Collision!

Global interview.

Crazy crowds came out in White Rock!

Just before the finish!

Final Day pics......

2010-09-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

The crowd coming down Marine Drive.

The group coming over the last climb of the day.

Damian (Peninsula Cycles) and Captain McNabb on the final climb. Both of these guys dedicated and sacrificed a lot for Shore2Shore. Thanks for all the effort boys!

The crew brought us into town in first class fashion!

White Rock Fire paid on call members greeted us at the hall when we went by. These guys are a stand up crew. Their members donated to Shore2Shore by covering the cost of the CanaDream RV! Thanks so much for the support.

E1, Tower1 and the Deputy Chief taking us into White Rock. Not a dry eye in the group when these guys came into sight!

Surrey E13 picked us up at their city limit. This was it, we were getting close now! Thanks to Surrey Fire and their members for the memorable ride into town!

216th and zero! A ride we have all done a thousand times!

Local 2407 members, Scott Hamilton and Bira Bindra joined us for the ride from Hope. Both of these guys planned to do the whole trek from Halifax but were held back for different family reasons. We were all stoked that they still got to take part and ride the last 140km.

Chris Coburn (The Peak 100.5FM) and Mike Passas by the airport in Abbotsford.

This guy never stopped helping. Murray our CPX driver at one of the stops handing out drinks and PowerBar product to the riders. Couldn't have done it with out you Mur....Thanks!

White Rock Mocom1 trailed by Abbotsford Fire and the rest of the Hop on in Hope group riding through the flats with Sumas in the background!

Abbotsford Fire showed some unbelievable support today!

Perfect day for a ride. This pic is of the group going over the Fraser.

The group before leaving Hope.

Passas getting a little emotional when he saw Bancs and Mossop roll into Hope to take us home. Mike put endless amounts of work into this ride. He was the guy behind all the mapping and routes. He broke down each and every day, through each and every city. The ride went so smooth solely because of this guy right here!! Great work.

Bancs on the left came out to Hope to bring us back to White Rock on our final day. A huge thanks to Mike and Davey Mossop for their effort! The lady on the right just saw us on Global and was coming over to donate to the ride. We had multiple Hope citizens come by right after the Global bit to see us off and donate to Shore2Shore. Thanks to all of them.

This was beside Birdy's bed for the whole trip.

The night before, Damian had his hands full getting bikes ready for the next day!

Fulton (AKA Futz, Foots, or Futes) receiving the King of the Mountains socks for the trip. This guy tackled some big climbs and a cold at the same time. Total trooper, nice riding!

Home Sweet Home!! White Rock BC!

2010-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Great weather, great people, great day! I think it was the best we had all trip!

Hop on in Hope was a huge success! Thanks to all the riders that came out to be a part of the final day with the Shore2Shore team. Thank you for all of your efforts and your fundraising goals! We appreciate it more than you know!

Shore2Shore and the White Rock Fire Fighters would like to thank Hope Fire, Abbotsford Fire, Langley Fire, Surrey Fire, and Surrey and White Rock RCMP. All of these departments stepped up to help us get into town safely. Not only did Abbotsford send a truck out to Chilliwack for us, but they had 5 riders that joined the ride for Hop on in Hope! We would also like to thank the three riders that joined us from West Vancouver Fire, as well as the Chief of Delta Fire and his family and friends that joined the ride. This event wouldn't have been possible without all of the above mentioned. We can't begin to thank all of you enough!

Sorry for all the thank you's in this post, but I feel my thank you speech at the pier was a little weak! I was not ready for that, as I am sure you all could tell.

More thank you's...

Thank you to the City of White Rock staff, Mayor Ferguson, and to MLA Gordon Hogg. You have all supported us throughout this entire event!

Thanks to Variety the Children's Charity and all of their staff and volunteers for the amazing BBQ celebration at the museum in White Rock! It was a great event and an unbelievable way to ride our last day into the Rock!

Thank you to Steve Dunbar (The Shore 104.3FM), Chris Coburn (The Peak 100.5FM) and to Global for helping us to promote the ride over the last few weeks. We spoke to Steve every morning to give him on the road updates. Chris did multiple updates as well, and also joined the Hop on in Hope ride. He made the 140 kilometers look easy from Hope to White Rock, while doing 40km/hr along the flats through Abbotsford! Thanks so much for making this ride a success!

Thanks to all those family, friends and supporters who followed along on the blog! Also, we appreciated you all for coming out to welcome us home. It was truly amazing for our guys to ride into such a celebration!

Sorry if I missed anyone. If I did, you know who you are and you know that we are thankful!

Instead of rambling on about the day, I will post a bunch of pics. It was too incredible for me to put into words! It was a very emotional day for all our guys to ride in to our city and see all of our friends, family, supporters, and the Pacific Ocean!

From everyone at White Rock Fire, Local 2407, and Shore2Shore...We say thanks!!

Hope.....UNBELIEVABLE TRIP!!

2010-09-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to White Lake Fire. They escorted us out of town with their new pump. Thanks to their members for all the support and for the donation they made to the ride.

The morning started out with a beautiful ride out of the Shuswaps. It did not take long, however, for the rain to catch up with us! The story of the day was...rain, rain, rain and more rain! Even so, there was some great riding out of Kamloops and on to Nicola Lake. Riding out of Merrit was great as well.

Another huge thank you goes out to Pritchard Fire. They met our guys out on the highway with 4 trucks! Thanks to them for their donation as well!

The Coquihalla was CRAZY! It was side ways rain, poor visibility, and near zero temperatures. There was tons of traffic (large tractor trailers everywhere) and quite a bit of construction. Thank goodness for the support follow vehicle, as it was very dangerous. I don't suggest anyone to attempt this by bike! Let's just say that we were stoked to get off of the hwy and onto Othello Rd. to Hope.

We arrived in Hope at 4:30. We ordered a bunch of pizzas, did some laundry, got the bikes cleaned up and are getting ready for the morning.

We are definitely looking forward to Hop on in Hope in the morning! It is going to be unbelievable...we just know it! An early thank you to everyone for participating.

We can't wait to hit the beach in White Rock around 2:30PM tomorrow! See you all there!

Some pics from the past couple weeks!

2010-09-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Drive by hand off of some stuff James left on the other RV!

Barry, Bird, and Terry.

The start.

Early crew into Halifax getting some riding in!

Cap and Mike before leaving Halifax.

Mikey P and JD.

PR's private medicine cabinet.

Thanks to the Boots for the Shore2Shore bracelets. The guys loved them!

Canmore dinner!!

Canmore escort!

Damian and Murray in Saskatchewan!

Dream Team'n! BC border!

Mad Dog first to go from Canmore!

Fulton through the rain on Rogers Pass.

Salmon Arm, White Lake...Two days to go!!

2010-09-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dinner pics from the Tracy's home

Yumm!

White Lake Fire

Thanks for the escort!

Murray switching wheels!

First of all, a special thanks must go out to Canmore Fire. They were completely awesome! I can't begin to thank them enough for all the support they offered us.

Today's ride started out not too bad out of Canmore, with nice temperature, no rain, and only a mild wind.

Of course as the ride went on, the winds rose (although at our back) and the temperature dropped. The guys sure did tough it out in their wet and cold situation! It was pretty sweet to see the BC border sign! There was an instant feeling of home and the tough weather seemed to be easily put into the back of our minds. While all the provinces were very unique in their own way, there was something about cycling through the mountains of British Columbia. It was truly the best part of the whole trip!

The riding today was definitely the most scenic, especially through Rogers Pass. While it was scenic without a doubt, it was also a little dangerous. We could have done without the construction and large tractor trailers.....especially given there was no bike lane or shoulder!

The day came to a great conclusion, with both the White Lake and Tappin Fire Departments meeting us on the highway outside of Salmon Arm. Not only did White Lake Fire provide us with a monetary donation, but they also gave us an escort to a family member's home (a White Lake Fire member). We were given warm showers, a place to do some laundry, and a home cooked meal. Thanks guys!

We are off to Hope tomorrow, where we will spend our last night on the road before returning to White Rock. We are looking forward to meeting up with all the participants of "Hop on in Hope" and seeing all of our family and friends again.

If the connection is good, there will be some pictures to follow!

Canmore in style!

2010-09-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Dinner with the crew of Local 4705. Great night!

Canmore Fire Tower 31 escorting us into town!

We had a little group meeting before we cruised into Canmore.

James, Al, Bird, Mollan, and Kameka riding into Canmore.

Bird the Mexican wrestler!

Fraser had a cold but beautiful ride out of Medicine Hat.

Pies for breakfast!

We arrived early today to be greeted by the members of Canmore Fire, Local 4705 on the side of Hwy. #1. The crew picked us up and escorted us through town with two of their rigs. Once again, another local went above and beyond for us! They put us up at one of their halls and cooked us up a huge lasagna dinner. A big thanks goes out to them and their city for the support.

As for the morning...the roads were dead flat out of Medicine Hat. The temperature was below zero but things were dry, the sky was blue, and the wind was at our back for the first time in a week. The early crew blasted across the Alberta flats, holding speeds of 40 to 45km/hr. Once we got past the business of Calgary, we were into the rolling hills leading up to the Rockies. The views and the ride into Canmore were spectacular! It was some of the most scenic riding I've ever seen in my life.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support. The online total is now over $44,000!

We are off to Salmon Arm in the morning. The BC border will be a sweet thing, even if they are calling for rain. We have the whole crew staying with family out in White Lake. It will be a tough day of climbing but we can't wait!

Some pics from the last week!

2010-09-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Battery is dieing, will try more later!

Cap getting ready to go!

Damian, first rider of the day out of Dryden.

That's one mean looking roadie!

Randoms from the CPX vehicle.....

2010-09-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Da....Bus!!

The guys ordered some homemade pies for us to pick up, when we cruised through Herbert.

Captain Block's cousin donated to Shore2Shore on behalf of the Herbert Saskatchewan Fire Department!

Long, flat, straight roads through the prairies!

Fulton all geared up!

Eating pie for breakfast!

Pics from day 10.....

2010-09-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I don't have pics from the other crew. I will post them when I can!

Alberta Border!

Members of Swift Current helping the Shore2Shore guys clean up their vehicle.

We can't thank these guys enough!

Engine in the distance. Swift Current escort!

"The Pirate", Pat Ryan made his first radio debut on the Shore 104.3FM this morning at 7:10am.....ARRRRR!!

Playoff beards going as well as expected!

Some video of the guys riding off the back of the RV before hitting the Alberta border.

Mad Dog in from his first ride of the day. It was barely above zero!

This one is for Steve! We will bring one home for you....Thanks for the pies!!

We had a Regina Fire escort early in the AM. They sent two vehicles to take us through and out of the city. We were going through red lights with lights and sirens all through town. It was a crazy experience! The temperature was -2 degrees. Thanks so much to Regina Fire and their local!

Day 10 - Medicine Hat.

2010-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Members of Swift Current Fire, Local 1318 with 6 of the guys from Shore2Shore!

Day 10 is in the bank! It was an unbelievable day. We started out with a Regina Fire escort out of town. We passed by some Vancouver friends that parked on the highway at 7am to see us go by. Thanks guys! Regina Fire sent a ladder and an engine to pick us up. Thanks to those guys for all of their support!

Once we hit the 10km to go for Swift Current, their crew had a rig waiting for us. They brought us to the city limit, where we met with their engine. The engine then brought us right into town with lights and sirens.....can't even explain the rush of going through town behind those vehicles. One of our crews kept riding, while the other stopped for a visit with the Swift Current guys. They had the media set up and made a donation to the charity. These guys are a Local very similar to ours and they went above and beyond any expectations we had. Great crew, great department, and an experience I will never forget!

We got into Medicine Hat by dinner time. The guys were pretty exhausted. We ate dinner, did some laundry, and got ready for day 11 to Canmore!

We received huge donations today! Thanks to everyone that has supported us! We will give you an update tomorrow about the ride into the mountains and snow!!

On to Medicine Hat!

2010-09-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing fire escort out of town this morning! It took us less then an hour! Some fun news...a couple of riders from Swift Current Fire are meeting up with us today, and they will ride with us into their hometown, along with a fire escort...Then we are off to Medicine Hat late tonight!

Regina!! Day 9 was not an easy one!

2010-09-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

We got into town around 5:30 this evening. Regina Fire deserves a huge thanks, as the crew went out of their way to escort us in, from almost 15km out of town! 5 of us road just behind the tail board all the way into town. That was a nice change from the head and cross winds we road with all day. Unfortunately, it was another day of bad weather and crazy bad head winds through the flats.

On a positive note, it was awesome to have the new addition, Ken Mollan (Mad Dog) from Local 2407 VP, join the ride just in time for the longest day of the whole trip. Welcome Ken!

More positive news...most of the guys have kicked their colds! Now they can focus on the fatigue that is definitely starting to set in....

Thanks to everyone that has been following us on the blog. Tomorrow we will be riding to Medicine Hat. They are calling for frost and -4'C in the morning. Should be nice for a 7am ride!

Happy belated birthday to Captain Moore...

Almost in Saskatchewan....

2010-09-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

We've been on the road since 5am. Looking forward to gaining another hr on the clocks. The bad weather never stops for this ride. Lot's of rain, low temps, and wind for the flats of Manitoba and Saskatchewan....

Check in late tonight when we get to Regina.

Thanks to Local 867 from your Brothers Local 2407!

2010-09-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Rob Labossiere Secretary L867 and the crew, donating a cheque from the Winnipeg local to James Davison, Charity Head of White Rock Fire, Local 2407.

Winnipeg!!!! Day 8 complete!

2010-09-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived here in pretty good time today. Gone are the hills, so we were able to cruise at almost 40km/h for the last 90k. So far, we have seen 4 bears, some elk and bison, and we finally saw a moose! Northern Ontario is a pretty beautiful place!

We are receiving unbelievable hospitality from the guys at Winnipeg, Fire Local 867. They have allowed us to park our vehicles at the south end of town at hall #23. The guys cooked up a monster batch of chilli for us and offered us the use of their hall. We took them up on some space and have set up a make shift bike shop to get our bikes all squared away and ready to go for tomorrow! The local even went out of their way to put together a donation towards Variety and Shore2Shore! These guys have been over the top wicked! On behalf of our local and all the riders of Shore2Shore, we want to thank the members and the city of Winnipeg for their incredible support and contribution!

I will try to post some pics from the day, but as per usual our computer connection is in and out....go figure, we are just outside of the city!!

Manitoba.....

2010-09-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Got through the Ontario, Manitoba border just a little while ago. We have another 100km or so to Winnipeg!

Just about to leave Dryden and ride our way out of Ontario.....Pics from Day 7 as well!

2010-09-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Dinner in Dryden.

Little bit of an inside joke on the CPX Bus!

110km to go!

Yikes!

Fraser hit some bad roads leaving Thunder Bay.

Guys flying out to a call just when we arrived.

The guys getting suited up before blasting out!

Thunder Bay Fire gave us full run of the hall. This was the set up for the night on Day 6.

They had the craziest fire poll. The fellas had to try it out!

Day 5 and 6 random shots.

2010-09-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is the place we stayed in Wawa Ont.

Dinner in Wawa, home of NHL tough guy Chris Simon.

Stud support crew! Murray, Terry and Barry.

Dream Team with special appearance from Mike P!
The CPX Bus will love this one.

A little draft never hurt anyone. We had 35 km/h winds that day!

45 km/h gusts.....

Evan, Eric, JD, and PR hit Ontario.

Murray cooked up a mean pasta in Rouyn Noranda that night!

Barry and Terry arguing over the better RV!

Dream Team.....Whatzz up!!

The Pirate!

Pic of the bathroom! Not a pretty place!

Evan and Cordell, first real view of Superior.

Don't ask!

Ev's hair has got out of control on this trip!

Rider change.

Futes out for his first of two legs on day 6.

Bumped into a member of Rush on our trip through Ontario.

That's the Bird being passed by one of our RVs!!

Just arrived in Dryden. Through day 7 and half way through the ride!

2010-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

We flew through the day today! The RV was fixed and they caught up with us in time to all ride into town together. All 9 of us hit the road, despite some strains, pains, and a brutal head cold that we have going around.

Looking to be a rough start for day 7!!

2010-09-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like we're starting with only five today. A couple guys woke up really sick, so they will hang back with the broken RV.

Fraser is kicking it on the road right now, with only knee and arm warmers in the 4'C clear sky morning.

Today should be interesting. Hopefully the rain and wind will hold off. 360km to Dryden with maybe only 5 riders...

Oh...and as for the Leaf jab......Apparently these guys have been saying that the Leafs suck all trip!

Thunder Bay...Day 6 is behind us!

2010-09-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

We had some ups and downs today and not just with the road. We have experienced some RV problems, some bike problems, some minor weather problems, and our cell phone has decided to just stop working! Yesterday the wind gusts reached up to 45km/hr! All would be good if they were tail winds but we were not so lucky! We had a similar day today, mixed with some scattered showers. Not the best combo for cycling!

Even with all of our issues, we are still managing to have a great experience. We arrived into town on time and safe. And the guys are all still feeling pretty solid! Thunder Bay Fire has put us up tonight at one of their halls. A big thanks to them! This is a beautiful city and a pretty unbelievable province to ride your bike through.

We are off to Dryden in the morning. We are cramming 7 riders into one of our RVs to do the ride, as the other RV needs to stay in Thunder Bay for repairs. It has a door that needs to be fixed. The thing is barely staying attached!

Surprisingly I have not even recieved one rib about the Toronto Maple Leafs while we travel through Leaf Nation. Funny thing, I did have a lady at the grocery store say that they are going to have a great season!! Gotta love a Leaf fan!

......I just tried posting pics but I couldn't even load one. My computer seems to be functioning just like the cell phone! I will try again tomorrow.

Wawa Ontario...Day 5, safe and sound!

2010-09-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

We hit some crazy head winds but we arrived here safely. We are staying at the Bristol Motel in Wawa. There are beautiful rolling hills in Ontario. We even saw two bears! Passas got rained on for the fifth day in a row! I will post some pictures from the day. It is like a clip from the movie "The Great Outdoors" here...guys in spandex surrounded by guys with big trucks and guns!! "Real beauty EH!!"

Day 4 - Rouyn Noranda

2010-09-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Quebec was beautiful and we got here in good time! The CPX rv arrived in town ahead of us and managed to get a huge pot of pasta on for dinner. Everything is going smoothly! Here are a few pics from the day 4.

The guys in CPX got twisted around on some back roads of Quebec. Not really sure how they turned that thing around on that road!

Mikey P....doing some riding in the rain. Par for the course for our first couple days in the east!

The guys found some sun shine. (Damian, Fraser and Al in the photo)

Captain Moore is going to love me for this one.....One of our three drivers, which of course we could not have done this without. Thanks to Barry, Murray and Terry for all their hard work!

Our bikes being stored in the trailer between rides. Working out perfectly!

Passas doing some trick photography......47km/hr while taking a picture of your bars.....Don't try this at home!

Fraser heading out for his turn!

Day 3 - Sainte Agathe des Mont, Quebec.

2010-09-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no post from yesterday.

Great ride over the St.Lawrence and into Quebec City!

Here are some pics....

Day 2 Photos!

2010-09-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yep, see that little car.....that's the RV....in the middle of no where NB!

Bird, JD, and Kameka cranked out the last 5okm into GrandFalls, NB. Just on the border of Quebec.

Birds out next.....Terry helping to get going.

Tumba....Nuff said!

JD after gettin passed by one of the many logging trucks!

Got a connection....randoms from day 1!

2010-09-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

Finished up day 2!!

2010-09-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks to all those checking out the blog over the last couple days. This will be a short one, sorry. Really bad connection hear in La Pocatiere, Quebec. Crazy day. Lot's of wind and rain, mixed with beautiful roads and rolling hills.

On behalf of the entire Shore2Shore team, I want to thank both the fire and police departments, of Halifax and Miramichi, for all of their hospitality over the last few days. Thanks to everyone in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The drivers have been unbelievably friendly, not only have they been giving us tons of room on the road, but in both provinces people have been stopping to donate money and at one of our stops a lady gave us 4 full lobsters........

We ride through Quebec city in the morning, looking forward to that! Stay tuned. Hopefully I can get some photos up tomorrow!

Day 1 is Done!!

2010-09-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Damian and Fraser working on the bikes in the truck bays before crashing out for the night!
Miramichi Fire set us up at one of their halls for the first night. They even cooked up a huge spaghetti dinner for everyone! Unbelievable hospitality and great people! We had a wicked first day! More posts to come tomorrow.

Police escort into Miramichi, NB. 7pm. Yep, that's rain, lots of it!

Not good!!....125km into the morning. We road gravel for the next 50km! Beautiful place but not such a beautiful road for the skinny tires!

Bird was the first guy to hit the road solo after our police escort from Halifax. Couldn't have been a better guy to have this honour, after all of his hard work over the last couple years for S2S. This is one of my favourite parts of the trip so far!

Minutes before the roll out! Left to right, (back) James, Fraser, Bird, Passas, Al, Damian, Pat, Eric, Cordell, (front) Murray, Terry, and Barry.

The official wheel dip....

James and Evan (with their girls), along with Pat and Eric before the flight from Abbotsford.

T-minus 20hrs....

2010-09-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well we are less than 24 hrs away from leaving! Good news... Everyone made it and all the bikes are here an nothing went missing or got broken. We are currently doing last minute stuff,costo run, etc. Team dinner tonight and then hopefully some sleep.

We are on the road by 7am with 475km to Miramichi. We will do a ceremonial tire dip in the Atlantic, then a police escort out of town, then 13 hours later be greeted by a few fire trucks then dinner and sleep at a fire hall in Miramichi.

Have a great day we'll keep in touch,

Mike Passas

Heading to the airport!

2010-09-06T17:09:00.001-07:00

Some pics from packing!!

Half the guys are gone.....The other half go Monday!!

2010-09-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Al (WRFR), Mike (WRFR), Barry (Retired WRFR/Driver), Terry (Driver), Damian (Peninsula Cycles), and Fraser (WestVan Fire) have all arrived in Halifax. The remainder of the crew arrives Tuesday morning!

Al and his father (retired Surrey Fire Deputy Chief) have posted some pics on the folling Facebook link from their adventure from Calgary to Halifax. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=152857261396522

Hall #13 - Halifax Fire. We have one RV stored here. A huge thanks to our Brothers from Local 268 for all of their Support!

First look at the big RV with the Decals. This RV was a generous donation from CPX http://www.cpx.ca/pages/home.php#.

Shore2Shore out and about in Vancouver!

2010-09-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

James and Eric from the Shore2Shore team made a couple visits yesterday to Global, The Shore 104.3FM, and to The Peak 100.5FM studios.

Lynn, Eric, Mark and James at Global!

Steve Dunbar, Eric, and James at The Shore FM!

Thanks so much for all the support!!

Shore2Shore on the Peak 100.5FM!

2010-09-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Listen live Thursday morning to the Peak 100.5FM to hear the latest on the Shore2Shore team!

The guys should be on around 8:15am.
http://www.thepeak.fm/

Shore2Shore on Global morning news!

2010-08-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Look for Shore2Shore on Global BC morning news at 7:50am Wednesday September 1st!

Two weeks to the day!!...With overwelming support from the IAFF.

2010-08-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today, the ride will be rolling! The White Rock fire fighters are very appreciative of their fellow brothers and sisters from across the country. "Within the last couple of days, more and more locals have contacted Shore2Shore to offer their support as we make our way across the country", says White Rock fire fighter Eric Kameka. As of right now, the Shore2Shore crew has been coordinating with Halifax, Kirkland Lake, Thunderbay, Dryden, Winnipeg, Swift Current, Canmore, Hope, Abbotsford and West Vancouver. Thanks for all the support so far!

The Shore and Shore2Shore.....It just makes sense!!

2010-08-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Mornings on the Shore with Steve Dunbar and Colleen Brow will be helping to get the word out about Shore2Shore and Variety the Children's Charity.
Listen to the Shore 104.3FM from 6am until 10am weekdays starting tomorrow morning (Thursday Aug. 26) to hear more about Shore2Shore.
http://www.shore104.com/

Chris Coburn from 100.5 The Peak joins Shore2Shore for Hop on in Hope!!

2010-08-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Chris Coburn, DJ from Vancouver's hottest radio station 100.5 The Peak, will be jumping on his bike to take part in Shore2Shore's newest element, Hop on in Hope. Coburn is an avid cyclist and can often be heard on the radio not only talking about his own cycling adventures, but also promoting other local cycling events. Shore2Shore is excited about having a local star join the event! For more info, and to support Chris Coburn and Shore2Shore, tune in to 100.5 The Peak every weekday morning.

Join the trek

2010-08-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/peacearchnews/community/100306074.html

White Rock Fire Fighters Prepare For Cycling Assault On Canada

2010-08-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.whiterocksun.com/index.php?mode=meet_the_neighbours

Join S2S for the last day from Hope to White Rock!!

2010-08-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Take Part in the Ride of a Lifetime
…and Hop on in Hope!

Burnaby, BC (July 28, 2010) – A group of very dedicated White Rock Firefighters, known as Shore2Shore, are currently getting ready for the trip of a lifetime, all to raise money for Variety - The Children’s Charity. On September 8th, the Shore2Shore team will begin a 2 week trek that will see them bike all the way across Canada, from Halifax, Nova Scotia to White Rock, BC. They have been preparing for the journey for the last year, with a goal to raise $100,000 for the charity. Shore2Shore has been raising funds by holding a number of community events as well as through online donations. Now there is another way for supporters to get involved – Hop on in Hope! The Shore2Shore team is looking for other cyclists to ride the last leg of the trek with them, a 140km ride from Hope to White Rock.

The Hope to White Rock ride will be on the final day of riding, Tuesday, September 21st. Start time will be 10am and is expected to finish by 4pm. A BBQ celebration in White Rock waits all the cyclists, friends, family and other members of the community. Participants should be experienced cyclists and able to maintain a pace of 25 km an hour. There will be brief stops every hour as well as a police escort the entire way to ensure the safety of all riders.

There are several options to get involved and join the ride. All levels of donors starting at $1,000, will receive a custom jersey and the opportunity to ride with the team. Donors of $2,500 and up qualify for the following women’s or men’s road bike: $2,500 – Allez X3/Dolce X3, $5,000 – Allez Sport/Dolce Sport V, $7,500 – Ruby Elite/Roubaix C2, $10,000 – Amira Comp /Tarmac, $50,000+ – Amira/Tarmac SL3 DA.

Interested cyclists must register by September 6th by contacting Tara Kurtz, Variety Special Events Coordinator at 604.320.0505 or tara.kurtz@variety.bc.ca. All proceeds go directly to Variety – The Children’s Charity. Visit www.variety.bc.ca for more information. The ride from Hope is supported by Specialized and Peninsula Cycles in White Rock.

Variety - The Children's Charity raises funds and distributes grants throughout British Columbia to inspire hope, enrich lives and build a better future for children who have special needs. Since 1965, Variety has raised over $155 million for children and families in the province.

New Kit is here!

2010-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Jersey's were a joint sponsorship from Atac Sportswear and once again stepping up Peninsula Cycles!!

Specialized and Peninsula Cycles to sponsor Shore2Shore for final day, Hope to White Rock ride!

2010-07-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/home.jsp

Tour de White Rock and Shore2Shore join forces!

2010-07-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

The White Rock Fire Fighters and Shore2Shore will be promoting their ride at the same time as helping out with this year's Tour de White Rock. The fire fighters will be collecting crowd prime money during Friday's hill climb, as well as leading up to the pro criterium races on Saturday. A portion of the earnings will go to support Shore2Shore and the rest will go to the race. Look for the Shore2Shore booth on all the courses to learn more about the ride and to buy S2S merchandise!

Check out the race video here at the Tourism White Rock web page. http://www.tourismwhiterock.com/

THREE DAYS OF EXCITING, FREE EVENTS:

Friday, July 16, 2010 7:00 pm
Buena Vista Avenue from Oxford to Foster
GRUELING CHALLENGE: HOMELIFE REALTY HILL CLIMB

Saturday, July 17, 2010
CIBC Grandview Corners CHILDRENS BIKE PARADE 1:00 PM
Five Corners, 15202 Pacific Avenue

CROWD FAVORITE: MAXIMUM COLLISSION CRITERIUM 4:00 PM
Five Corners, 15202 Pacific Avenue

Sunday, July 18, 2010
A TEST OF ENDURANCE: PEACE ARCH NEWS ROAD RACE 10:00 AM
White Rock Waterfront

New Era comes up big for Shore2Shore!

2010-06-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Media Launch Success!

2010-05-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/peacearchnews/community/95054079.html

Bira steals the show! His courageous words touched everyone in the room! A big thank you to Ramneek, Rose and Bira for coming out and sharing their story.

One of the many group shots from the day!

Official Shore2Shore Launch!! Wednesday May 26!

2010-05-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Southpoint Mall location Canadian Tire adds to the latest Shore2Shore success!!

2010-05-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Good corporate citizenship through community support is core to the culture of Canadian Tire. Canadina Tire has donated more than $30 million to help give Canadian families in need a boost when they need it most. "I've always been a strong believer in supporting local charities. Shore2Shore and Variety is just another perfect group to be a part of!" Dan Higgins, store owner.

Bolle and CanaDream step up for S2S!

2010-04-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

"We're excited about being able to participate and support such a great event and cause!" Bolle is constantly refining their trademark combination of fit, fashion and comfort, resulting in some of the freshest and most technologically advanced eyewear in the industry.

CanaDream is one of the largest Recreational Vehicle ("RV") Rental Companies in Canada, catering to the needs of both an International and local clientele who want to realize their dream of experiencing, up-close and personal, Canada's vast unspoiled natural landscape and its magnificent Natural Park system in the comfort of a motorhome or the economy and convenience of a "Camper".

Life is Good supports Children's Charity!

2010-03-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Life is good Company spreads the power of optimism through its colorful collection of apparel and accessories, and the contagious grin of Jake, its optimistic cultural hero. Life is good is committed to supporting extraordinary charities, like Variety the Children's Charity, that create a lasting positive impact on children facing unfair challenges. For more information please visit www.lifeisgood.com

Maximum Collision takes a dent out of Shore2Shore's fundraising goal!

2010-02-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

Local 2407 members are excited to announce a large new sponsorship from Maximum Collision's South Surrey location. This sponsorship will make Maximum Collision one of Shore2Shore's largest sponsors to date!

Maximum Collision has continuously supported local charity events in their community. They are a "One Stop - Full Service Repair Center". While your vehicle is in their care, Maximum Collision can perform many repair and maintenance items, such as brake repair, lube oil and filter change, wheel alignment, and air conditioning service.

White Rock Olympic Torch brings large crowds and large donations for Shore2Shore!

2010-02-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

White Rock Fire Fighters were honoured to be serving pancakes for the 2500 cheering fans who showed up bright and early on February 9th to watch the Olympic flame pass through the community!

Thanks to the generous support from those who attended, we raised more than $2400 for Shore2Shore.

"It was an incredible event to be a part of. We were extremely excited to be involved in such a huge event for White Rock. Not only were we able to raise a generous amount of money for Variety but this was a fantastic way to get the word out about Shore2Shore!" said Mike Stark, of Local 2407, White Rock Fire Fighters Charity Association.

Variety Show of Hearts Telethon

2010-01-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

The White Rock Fire Fighters present a cheque for $20,000 to Variety the Children's Charity. The cheque presentation will air on Global BC between 10pm and 11pm on Saturday January 30th.

Giro Sponsors Shore2Shore!

2010-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

A Big Week for Shore2Shore

2009-10-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Shore2Shore took on three new sponsors in the past week! All three will be donating their services, product, and cash to support the event and Variety the Children's Charity.

"Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers was a huge deal for the success of Shore2Shore. Their staff have been supportive of the event right from the start. There is no doubt that their contributions will help to make this event as successful as possible." Said Mike Passas, Local 2407 and Co Team Leader for Shore2Shore.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, with 39 auction sites worldwide. They sold US$3.57 billion of used and unused equipment at 340 unreserved auctions in 2008, including a wide range of heavy equipment, trucks and other assets for the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries.

POWERBAR has also committed to supporting Shore2Shore. POWERBAR is passionate about sports and fitness, health and wellness. All of their products are backed by decades of sports nutrition science and must live up to high standards to meet the nutrition and energy needs of all athletes — from world-class champions and dedicated amateurs to beginners. The Shore2Shore team is stoked to have POWERBAR on board. They are definitely a perfect fit for the event.

Another local White Rock business to step up and get involved is Parfour Signs and Printing. Parfour Signs has always been a big supporter of the White Rock fire fighters and local charity. Parfour Signs and Printing is a full service design and print shop for everything from business cards to large scale banners and vehicle graphics.

Their first big print job for Shore2Shore (a 25ft. banner) can been seen hanging at the front of the fire hall already!

1st Press Release: "Going the distance"

2009-06-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

After a years worth of preparation and hard work, we have finally been able to start getting the word out about the Shore2Shore event locally. A big thanks goes out to the Peace Arch News who published the ad below on May 28/2009.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/peacearchnews/community/46390097.html

Gettin' Rollin'

2009-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Peace Arch News was at the fire hall today to do a story on the ride. Here is one of the photos that was taken during the morning festivities.

Scott Booth (far right), Local 2407 Union President, stands with team riders (from left to right) Evan Bird, Patrick Ryan, Mike Passas, Eric Kameka, James Davison, and Bira Bindra.

The Shore 2 Shore event was also published last week by the IAFF on their website(http://www.iaff.org/Comm/SpotLight/09stories/040909WhiteRockCharity.htm) and we will soon find the event hitting local papers within the next week!

"Consider it a hand shake!"

2009-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

In recent weeks, White Rock Fire Fighters, Local 2407 and Variety the Children's Charity have joined forces. "Consider it a hand shake", said Eric Kameka from Local 2407. "We're all excited about the partnership. We just can't wait to get the event up and off the ground. It's incredible to see the amount of enthusiasm from Variety's end, as well as the interest from potential sponsors at such an early stage!"

Over the next two months, both sides will be working together to get the word out to potential sponsors, complete promotional material, and to prepare for a soft launch kick off for early June.

Hopes are high with the possibility of a great new partnership!!

2009-01-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

The latest news comes with great excitement for both sides. White Rock Fire Fighters Charity has been in discussion with Variety - The Children's Charity over the past week. Local 2407 Charity head, James Davison was enthused when saying, " This is incredible news for our event and for Variety. We're looking forward to the partnership, and can't wait to get this event off the ground. Variety couldn't be a better fit for us and it appears they are just as excited about the event as we are!"

Variety - The Children's Charity is a registered charitable society with a mission to raise funds and distribute grants throughout British Columbia to inspire hope, enrich lives, and build a better future for children who have special needs.
Since 1965, they have raised over $140 million, providing much-needed funding to children and organizations. Every year, Variety receives over 1,000 applications from individual families with children who have special needs making them the leading children's charity in B.C. for issuing such grants. Over 40 per cent of the grant disbursements are given to individual families, the other 60 per cent are given to organizations that help children and families.

Variety does not receive government funding. They rely solely on donations from individuals and corporations. As a volunteer based organization, they have some of the lowest administration rates amongst charitable groups. 90 cents of every dollar goes directly to the people they help, children who have special needs!

White Rock Fire Fighters will meet with Variety in the coming weeks to finalize the partnership and to organize a plan of action to kick off this big event!

White Rock Fire Fighters, Local 2407 plan the biggest fund raising event in their locals history!

2008-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

White Rock Fire Fighters have their plates full with this one! With a small local of only twenty-one members, the White Rock Fire Fighters will be trying to raise $50,000 for charity by 2010.

The plan is to cycle from Halifax Nova Scotia to White Rock B.C. in September 2010. The ride will be a relay, with one rider always on the road, 24 hours a day. The plan is to complete the trip in less than two weeks. This will not be an easy undertaking for the members of Local 2407, as they only have a couple members with cycling experience and they will need at least five to seven riders to complete the trip.

The atmosphere around the firehall is positive and the fire fighters are excited about the challenge. "I'm looking forward to getting into the sport, getting really fit, and to be a part of raising a lot of money for a great charity", said Fire Fighter Bira Bindra after the locals last union meeting.

Local 2407 will be approaching other fire fighting locals from all across Canada and possibly the U.S. for donations but understand that to make an event like this a success, most of the money will have to come from corporate sponsorship and donations.

Keep your eyes on this webpage to hear the latest news and to see how the event is progressing!