He’s a local celebrity and Mark Falvai who was crowned the winner in Canada’s Handyman Challenge this year is still riding his wave of fame after HGTV ran a marathon of the reality show episodes last week.
For those who want to meet the man behind the tool belt, there will be an opportunity Thursday night when Falvai appears at the Mulberry Bush Book Store in Parksville.
Falvai and his partner Joanne Simister will be participating in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer in June and for a donation of $10 towards the cancer fundraiser, Falvai will answer all your burning DIY questions.
He said while he will be on hand to share his knowledge on building and renovating, he predicts most people will be asking questions about the show.
“It should be fun. I shop at the store and one day they called me up out of the blue and asked if I would do the event to help raise money,” he said.
The 38-year-old local jack of all trades, who had many building tasks to accomplish when taping the show, has also been renovating his Qualicum Beach home for about five years.
He said if someone has a construction question he can’t answer, he will point them in the right direction … after all, he did spend many weeks competing against several talented handymen and getting advice from some of the best builders in the industry.
Tough as nails contractor Mike Holmes, who is on the very popular HGTV shows Holmes On Homes, was one of the three judges Falvai had to impress to win the competition.
“I don’t think there is much I can’t help them with.”
Where Falvai does need some help is finding time to train for the fast approaching two day cycling journey from Vancouver to Seattle.
It takes place on June 16 and 17 and Falavai admitted his training has been on the back burner.
“I have been so busy … it is hard to get on the bike. I am way behind everyone else. All my friends are up to 100 km rides and the longest I have done is 15 or 20,” he admitted.
Falvai and Simister have four children including one-year-old twins and Falvai said when they do have time to take the bikes out and train it is hard not to miss them.
“We pull the kids in the chariot. When people see us we look like a circus going thru town,” he chuckled.
The two are part of Team iConquer which is looking to raise $139,800 for the BC Cancer Foundation.
On November 25, 2011 they lost one of their closest friends, Leon Little to brain cancer. Following his diagnosis in 2008, Little participated in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer two years in a row; his last ride was in 2011.
Born and raised in Errington, Little was 38 years old when he died. There are 43 people on the team, including Little’s twin brother Craig.
For those who would like to donate to their team, they can make a pledge on Falvai’s personal pledge page on the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer website.
For those who want to meet Falvai in person, he will be at Mulberry Bush book store in Parksville at 280 E. Island Hwy., Thursday, April 19 at 7p.m.
