Canning Vale firefighter Steve Choate is no stranger to a challenging situation so when he was asked to pose as Mr December for the 2017 Perth Firefighters calendar the decision was easy.
The highly sought after annual calendar helps raise funds for the burns unit at Princess Margaret Hospital and the soon to open Perth Children’s Hospital.
Having a personal connection to PMH Mr Choate said it was an opportunity to raise money for a good cause.
“My nephew spent a lot of time at PMH the first year of his life,” he said.
“I saw first hand the patient care that they do there and anything that helps or contributes to those guys is a really good thing.”
Mr Choate said the doctors and nurses who worked at PMH were phenomenal.
“It just has one of the highest care for inpatients and it is one of the best in the world,” he said.
“It was a privilege to go down and visit PMH and to raise money for them.
“It was fantastic to see where the money goes.”
Mr Choate has been a firefighter since March 2015 and said although he had worked in different industries being a fireman was something he could not shake.
“There’s a lot of humour in this job and there needs to be,” he said.
“With the calendar shoot it’s my friend’s job to tease me.
“I get it from my friends out of work as well which is good because if they’re making fun they’ve seen it and if they’ve seen it they buy it and it goes to something good.”
Burns Service WA director Professor Fiona Wood said over the years the support from the calendar had helped reduce the impact of burn injuries on children and their families.
“As we strive to improve the lives of all our burn survivors having the firefighters and the PCH Foundation by our side every step of the way is most certainly special,” she said.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson said the firefighters’ commitment to help the community extended from responding to incidents to helping improve the care of children through their relationship with the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“The Department of Fire and Emergency Services is proud of the strength, courage and generosity firefighters show and their continued commitment to the children’s hospital,” he said.
In the nine years the calendar has been in production it has raised more than $850,000 for the burns unit.
The calendar is now available for $15 from the volunteer’s kiosk at PMH or online at pchf.org.au and perthfirefighters.com.
