Canadian Rollerblader To Skate Across SF on Oct. 15
By Olivia Wynkoop, Bay City News Foundation
Accompanied by San Francisco firefighters, Canadian rollerblader Christine Ichim will skate across the city on Friday to raise awareness for the San Francisco Fire Department Cancer Prevention Foundation.
Ichim was the first woman to ever rollerblade across Canada in 1996, in an effort to raise awareness for cancer research.
Starting at 8:30 a.m. on October 15, Ichim will skate from Ocean Beach to Point Lobos Avenue, and then across San Francisco through Geary, Presidio, Lombard, and Columbus Avenues, along the Embarcadero. She’ll finish her journey at the San Francisco Department Headquarters at 11:00 a.m.
October 15 also marks the 25th anniversary of Ichim’s 5000-mile journey across Canada. “Research saves lives,” said Ichim. “My mother lived 20 years on borrowed time because of advances in medical research. One area of research that is underfunded is how to prevent cancer following exposure to smoke from structural and wildland fires. We have the power to turn the tide and change our fate. Cancer is now the number one cause of death of firefighters. We can change that,” said Ichim in a statement.
Once she arrives, the Consult General of Canada and the San Francisco Firefighter Cancer Prevention Foundation will present a donation.
Copyright © 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
San Francisco Fire announces Cross Canada Rollerblade(r) to Skate Across San Francisco for Fire Fighter Cancer Preventionhttps://t.co/Ao8QV3ampt pic.twitter.com/P2heuyrSOL
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) October 13, 2021