VIDEO: Diagnosed with ALS, city's chief building inspector receives surprise gift

Earlier this year, Sault Ste. Marie's Freddie Pozzebon was shocked when he learned the devastating news that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a neurological disease that causes the brain to lose its ability to control voluntary movements.

But on Monday, the long-time chief building inspector with the city was on the receiving end of an uplifting surprise when local members of ‘100 Guys Who Care’ announced they’d be giving their quarterly donations to Pozzebon’s ‘Steady Freddie’s Warriors’ team at next week’s ‘Walk to End ALS.’

As part of the ‘100 Guys Who Care’ initiative, modelled after ‘100 Women Who Care,’ nearly 140 local men each donate $100 every three months to a local charity. Pozzebon has been a member of the group for several years.

Making their post-COVID return to the charitable scene in grand fashion, many of the group’s members gathered at Giovanni’s on Monday to hear where they had voted to donate this summer's collection, nearly $14,000.

Every member — except one — already knew where the money was going.

When Joe Ruscio revealed that ‘Steady Freddie’s Warriors’ would be the recipient, a stunned Pozzebon was reduced to tears.

“Thank you very much,” he told to a crowd of his colleagues. “It’s a surprise.”

A devoted husband to his wife Dirinda Evans and a father to his two children, Hunter and Mak, Pozzebon began to notice some twitching in his arm three years ago.

After attending several appointments and undergoing a number of tests, his diagnosis of ALS was confirmed in April of this year.

Most patients with ALS die from respiratory failure within several years of diagnosis. There is currently no cure.

“When you get diagnosed with something like this, all of a sudden now there’s almost a purpose — not a good one, but everything has changed now,” Pozzebon says. “We’re concentrating on how to live with this diagnosis now.”

“Even when I was diagnosed, I’m not a person to say: ‘Why me?’ I take things as they come, look at it positively, and try and get over whatever I have to get over.”

Pozzebon told SooToday that this life-altering news has reinvigorated his faith, and that any prayers he receives are appreciated immensely.

“The strongest feature I have is my faith,” he says. “I’ve been really tapping into that. I found a lot of strength there.”

“Prayers really do help. When I hear people say: ‘I’m thinking of you,’ I know they’re praying for me, and that’s the uplifting part of the whole thing for me. Then you know you can continue on.”

With the help of his friends, Pozzebon recently formed a team for the upcoming ‘Walk to End ALS’ at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 25.

The ‘Steady Freddie’s Warriors’ have smashed their goals of $10,000 and $20,000. The surprise donation of nearly $14,000 with a few days of fundraising left sees Pozzebon’s team in the neighbourhood of raising $40,000 in support of ALS Canada.

“Seeing the support coming through the donations has been awesome,” Pozzebon says. “We have to do something for all those families who don’t have the coverage. With the donations, I believe 40 percent goes to research and 60 percent goes to those families who don’t have the coverage for everything from their treatment to wheelchairs.”

Helping bring back the ‘100 Guys Who Care’ initiative for the first time in several years, Joe Ruscio says the decision to put their quarterly donation towards ALS Canada through Pozzebon’s team was one that was met with overwhelming support.

“I don’t think anything hits home harder than one of your own members being part of who you’re trying to help,” Ruscio says. “As a group, we’re all there with him.”

“He’s a very humble guy – someone who is well respected and well liked by anyone who knows him, especially by reputation.”

To donate to Steady Freddie’s Warriors and ALS Canada, visit here.