REAL MEN’s Own Honours Fallen Firefighters

We at REAL MEN are proud to say that our members have a heart to serve. That’s why we’re especially proud of our own, Eric Savard, who recently undertook an arduous cycling adventure from Toronto to Ottawa, to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This charity honours and remembers firefighters who gave their lives in service, by fundraising to provide for the surviving families, through scholarships, bursaries, financial funeral assistance, and more.

What follows is Eric’s own recollection of the trip…

“It was challenging, but keeping focus on the end goal is what kept me going. The middle portion of the ride had a 1200 m gain in elevation over about 40 km. Then the next day, more hills coming out of Kingston. We departed from the Toronto Fire Training Facility in Scarborough at 7:30 and arrived in Kingston at 6:30, for a first day of 263 km. We stopped every 90 minutes of riding for a 10 minute stretch and hydration break. I consumed my own homemade energy sports gels to fuel my body with sufficient carbs and electrolytes: 18 g carbs every 30 minutes. We left Kingston at 7:30 the next morning and arrived in Ottawa ahead of schedule at 3:45. Our average speed for both days was 28.7 km/hr, we rode the last 80 km at 32 to 35 km/hr. On the Sunday we marched to the memorial (450 m) and we attended the ceremony where 20 families were presented with fire hats, handed to them for the first time by our Prime Minister.”

The reason for the ride is to raise funds and awareness to the Canadian Fallen Firefighter Association. which has erected and maintains a memorial in Ottawa. The CFFA also provides counseling at a camp for 5 days, available to the grieving family of a deceased firefighter. Also, funeral financial aid is available to the families of the deceased firefighter who died in the line of duty, there is also an education fund available to the spouse and children.