Steps for Life committees mark big successes and bigger plans

One of the inspiring aspects of each Steps for Life-Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy event is the volunteer committees which organize each local walk. These volunteers truly walk together, and work together too, to ensure the event comes off without a hitch. The committees are also great at helping one another – sharing their ideas, successes and what they learn from one year to another.

Sudbury Ontario is one of our oldest continuous Steps for Life walks, having started in 2007. This year the event more than doubled its fundraising goal, with a total close to $27,500. The first Steps for Life walk in Vancouver took place in 2010, but the current committee formed in 2020, only to see their event go virtual for two years. 2022 was their first in-person walk and they too exceeded their goal, raising close to $60,000. Both committees share a little of what worked so well for them in 2022, and their plans for next year.

HOLLY BARIL, Chair, Sudbury Steps for Life

The annual equipment display is a favourite for kids at Steps for Life Sudbury

In a word or two, how would you sum up Steps for Life-Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy event Sudbury 2022?
Huge Success!

How does your committee work together and what were the key factors in their success this year?
Every committee member is given their responsibilities for the walk. We have frequent email exchange to ensure progress is being made. The key factor in this year’s success is really the commitment of those individuals — that ensured the day ran smoothly and was successful. The assurance that each person will fulfill their duties is required for the walk to succeed.

Could you name one new thing you tried this year for Steps for Life that turned out really well?
Team competition. We have been trying to get this going for a couple of years, and I guess after the pandemic everyone wanted to take part. Plenty of teams were created, and we made sure to announce each team this year to recognize their fundraising efforts.

Any exciting plans for next year’s walk that you could share?
We are hoping to have a food vendor, and possibly a band to play music for the day. We will continue with our heavy equipment display for the kids. They love this part!

REBECCA HARRIS and DANIELLE MOUNTJOY, Co-Chairs Vancouver Steps for Life

A rainy walk day couldn’t hold back the Vancouver Steps for Life committee

In a word or two, how would you sum up Steps for Life-Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy event Steps for Life Vancouver 2022?
Togetherness, Successful!

How did your committee come together and what were the key factors in their success this year?
We first heard of Threads of Life through a connection in the mining industry who has been a long supporter. Soon after, we learned
Vancouver (and all of BC) didn’t have a Steps for Life walk, so decided to co-chair a Vancouver committee. We reached out to friends and local Threads of Life connections to form the wonderful committee we have today. One of the key factors of success this year was the ability to have our first in-person walk where we could connect with our walkers, VIP speakers, and sponsors. Another would be the diverse range of skill sets and wide networks on our dedicated committee. This allowed us to be prepared for whatever the day might throw at us and helped the event reach more people. 

Could you name one new thing you tried this year to promote Steps for Life that worked really well?
We relied heavily on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for promoting our walk. We leveraged the fact that we had already built a following and some content on these platforms during our first two virtual walks in 2020 and 2021. Social media allowed us to reach all kinds of people and provide live updates as we approached walk day.

Any exciting plans for next year’s walk that you could share?
Our focus is to balance increasing awareness, honouring the lost and injured loved ones, and having some fun! We will be improving our walker experience through stronger engagement with the speakers, more efficient logistics, and a greener event.

If you’re interested in joining your local Steps for Life committee, please visit http://events.threadsoflife.ca/volunteer to read more about the roles, or contact us for more information