Welland Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 481 is turning up the heat with its newest calendar raising funds for Hospice Niagara and Niagara Children’s Centre.
Calendar chair Adam Murphy said the association has raised $46,500 over the years for local charities through its calendar kickoff events and sales.
Hospice Niagara is where Capt. Craig Bowman spent his last weeks before he succumbed to Stage 4 esophageal cancer on May 21, 2023, at the age of 47. Bowman was a firefighter for 22 and a half years — 20 with Welland and nearly three years as a volunteer in Thorold.
The association sponsored a room at the agency’s recently opened Maison Walker | Walker House, a 10-bed facility attached to Foyer Richelieu’s new 9,755-square-metre 128-bed long-term-care home in Welland.
Murphy said 14 firefighters, including two women, new and returning association members, are in the 2026 calendar, shot by David Haskell of Haskell Photography at the Cotton Mill Complex on Hagar Street.
“With all of the new people we’ve hired over the last two years, it was easier to get people to participate, and with how successful the event was in 2024, it made things less of a challenge.”
Murphy said Bain Printing in Niagara Falls printed the calendars.
“They have always been great with us and are happy to help.”
Calendars are $20 and can be pre-ordered from the association’s online store at wpffa-calendar.square.site or purchased during a launch night and fashion show on Sept. 19.
The event start at 6 p.m. at Auberge Richelieu on River Road and features live music, food, drinks and more. Tickets are $30, which includes a calendar, and can be found on the website or purchased from firefighters at any of the city’s three stations.
“We will also do some additional calendar sales events throughout various locations around the city, which will be posted on our social media.”
The association can be found on Facebook at Welland Firefighters and Welland Firefighters L481, Instagram and X.
Murphy said funds raised from the calendar launch and fashion show and calendar sales will be divided between the two charities.