A classic movie about firefighting hits the big screen at the Hope Cinema Feb. 24, with proceeds from ticket sales going to a worthy cause.
From 1991, Backdraft is the show, and the cause is the B.C. Lung Foundation’s Climb the Wall charity event.
Five local firefighters — Monica Cummins, Josh Westcott, Branden Stewart, Sabrina Russo and Caleigh Flynn — will be climbing the Hope Lookout trail on Feb. 27, dressed in 75 pounds of firefighting gear.
They are helping to raise awareness for the one in five Canadians affected by lung diseases including asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer.
Cummins has done this event several times, each time thinking of her dad.
“He passed away in his 50s from lung cancer, so this hits really close to my heart,” she said. “I wish when it happened back in 2000 I had more information about smoking and lung issues. Losing a relative or friend to lung disease is awful and the more we can educate the more we can help.”
RELATED: Hope firefighters tackle ‘Climb the Wall’ challenge
RELATED: Hope fire fighters consistently amongst top Stair Climb fundraisers
In the pre-COVID years the event was held indoors, with Cummins willing herself up 48 stories and 739 steps at Vancouver’s towering Sheraton Wall Centre.
“It’s very daunting and you feel very accomplished,” she said.
Last year and this, the firefighters have done it outdoors on the Hope Lookout Trail. It’s cooler outside, Cummins said, but at 2.3 miles, completing the hike is no less daunting.
“I’m pretty small and my gear is quite big,” she laughed. “It’s hot with the gear on and we have less mobility. It’s hard to lift my legs up fully on those big steps at the end of the trail. They’re quite large steps.
“It’s long, so there’s definitely endurance required, and it’s quite steep. Once I get near the last bit I’m like, ‘When is this thing going to end?’”
The firefighters have been training on and off at the Fraser Bridge, going up and down the 40-odd steps several times. Every week they’re meeting for fitness training, and one of the things Cummins likes most about the experience is the team-building.
“Just the job alone, a lot of stuff we end up doing is pretty dangerous stuff, so you build relationships and camaraderie through that,” she said. “We really push ourselves in the training we do for this event, and when you’re motivating each other you just build those bonds.
“When the climb actually happens we can almost relax because we’ve reached the point we were building towards.”
Cummins is thankful to Hope Cinema for hosting their event.
Directed by Ron Howard, Backdraft tells the tail of two Chicago brothers and firefighters who don’t get along, but work together to thwart an arsonist.
The movie’s heavyweight class includes Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and William Baldwin.
Tickets are $10 at the door. The theatre opens at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 7 p.m.
If you can’t make the show but want to donate to the cause, visit https://bclf.donordrive.com/team/5038
The locals are looking to raise $1,000 and as of Monday (Feb. 14) had reached $720.