Mike Farwell provides an update on absence, Farwell4Hire campaign

He’s the man behind the mic and in the month of May, he gets his hands dirty and picks up odd jobs all in the name of raising funds in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis.

If you live in Waterloo Region, you likely know the name Mike Farwell — whether you’re listening to his talk show or Kitchener Rangers play-by-play coverage on CityNews 570.

Aside from being on the airwaves, he’s always looking out for others and often supporting various charities and fundraisers in the community.

He launched his own annual initiative 11 years ago with the very first Farwell4Hire campaign in support of Cystic Fibrosis research.

The entire team at CityNews 570 is thinking of Farwell and his family during what is an incredibly difficult time.

On Thursday, Farwell shared that his family has suffered an unimaginable tragic loss and are overwhelmed with grief.

He’s now taking time to be with his family, which means taking a temporary leave from work. For now, there will also be a pause on his Farwell4Hire duties.

“This is where we are at as a family and I’m sorry for the people that are let down. But the most important thing for me right now is my family and dealing with the grief that we’re faced with and that we’re dealing with.”

We’re all standing behind Farwell and his family, and respecting their privacy.

True to Mike’s tremendous character, he is still reassuring everyone that he will get back to his Farwell4Hire duties, when he can.

“We’ll get back to things but it’s just gonna take a little bit. I have to focus on the most important things right now and that’s dealing with my own grief and being close to my family.”

There’s still ways that you can support Mike and his campaign. You can follow the Farwell4Hire Facebook page to see public events that businesses are running.

The 50/50 draw is also still up and running and TLC Pet Food in New Hamburg is matching donations up to $30,000.

You can grab tickets at cf5050.ca.