STEP UP: Plan your Steps for Life activity in May

Suffering a workplace or work-related injury can be life-altering or even fatal. Workers and their families are left to deal with these unexpected changes, and Threads of Life is there to support them in their journey.

As a national charity, Threads of Life helps families cope after someone they love suffers a work-related fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease. They offer information and peer support programs that are designed to help them handle their loss – whether it be the injured worker planning for the future or family members dealing with the death of a loved one. Steps for Life helps ensure that this charity is there for Canadian families when they need it.

“Steps for Life is the primary fundraiser for Threads of Life,” said Lynn Danbrook, Western Canada development coordinator for Threads of Life. “On average, three people are killed on the job every working day or die due to a work-related disease in Canada, while many more are seriously injured. We need to make sure that the families affected will have support available to them, and we need to continue to promote health and safety on the job.”

Steps for Life fundraisers are usually held each year in-person in communities across Canada, including Regina and Saskatoon. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all this, causing organizers to take a new approach to this year’s event.

“Due to the pandemic, we can’t hold our usual community gatherings,” said Danbrook. “Instead, we’re asking people to design their own activity and plan to do it any day in the month of May. They can wear their Steps for Life t-shirt from a previous year or anything yellow, and then join in the spirit with others in their own city and across Canada.”

Participants are asked to register for free through the Steps for Life website, stepsforlife.ca, and select a location to ensure that their participation counts toward their community’s event total. They can then submit their planned activities ahead of time and share their photos discussing why Steps for Life is important to them, using the hashtag #Mywhymyway.

“We’ve already seen some great plans – people walking their dogs, riding their bikes, dancing, painting – all decked out in yellow,” said Danbrook. “It’s been very inspiring!”

Although Steps for Life is designed to raise awareness about workplace safety and financial support for Threads of Life, organizers are more focused on increasing Canadians’ participation this year.

“Participating in Steps for Life gives people a chance to be part of something positive during some pretty dark days,” said Danbrook. “We’re really emphasizing participation this year, and if fundraising happens, that will be a wonderful bonus.”

Steps for Life is also grateful to have corporate sponsors who have chosen to continue their support of the event, despite the economic uncertainty that currently exists across Canada and around the world.

“We are so honoured that our many partners and sponsors have stayed with Steps for Life this year, despite everything that has happened,” said Danbrook. “These companies and organizations are real leaders for health and safety both on a local and a national basis.”

For more information, visit the Steps for Life website or their social media pages: