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Steps for Life registration continues

Why do thousands of families, friends, co-workers and union reps take Steps for Life? 

The Steps for Life walk funds family support programs and services for families who are living in the aftermath of a workplace fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease while raising the awareness of the importance of workplace health and safety.

Winnipeg’s takes place on May 2 and launches the North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH). 

Sara Purvis walks because March 6 marked four years since her father was killed in a Sudbury mine.

“Maybe some people think I should be over it but I’m not and I never will be,” she says. “I was cheated out of many years with my father, and my children were cheated out of a grandfather. The walk is my way to keep my dad's memory alive. This is not a group you want to join and I don't want any more people joining because of the reason I did.”   

Purvis is among more than 1,000 families who are members of the Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support – Threads of Life. Many of these families will gather in 28 communities across Canada for fun, camaraderie and the hope that raising awareness about the importance of injury prevention will help prevent another family from joining their ranks.  

Johanna Fisher walks to get the message out to everyone responsible for workplace safety. Her son Micheal died from a traumatic life-altering injury while working as a roofer.  

“Too many young people are still injured and die on the job every day,” she says. “Too many people still contract occupational illnesses and disease every day.  I believe that there is no better way to change this than at the grassroots level – the level closest to the people who are affected or could be affected should one of these tragedies occur.  Only through the kind of awareness that the Threads of Life and the Steps for Life Walk creates, can we reach the people that the message of injury prevention is most important to: the workers, the supervisors and managers. The people who can effect change from within.”

Register to walk today - Early Bird rates are in effect until April 15, 2010. Every step counts! Find more information at the Steps for Life site!