Fire crews step up to stairclimb challenge
(Daily Bee file photo) Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS firefighters are once again gearing up for the 27th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle. They will be collecting donations for those with cancer as part of the event requirements by hitting the Stairmaster in full gear from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Walmart in Ponderay.
SANDPOINT — Firefighters will be burning up the stairs of Seattle’s Columbia Center next month when they crest the top of the second tallest building west of the Mississippi.
The building won’t be on fire, but the firefighters will be by the time they reach the acclaimed observation deck overlooking the city during the 27th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb.
“It is 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps and 788 feet of elevation with roughly 50 pounds of gear,” said Connor Robinson, Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS volunteer firefighter.
In addition to the weight and other physical challenges, they are also on air with their self-contained breathing apparatus as they make their way to the top.
Three local firefighters will once again test their endurance in the stairclimb on March 11, raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in an effort to find a cure for those battling blood cancer.
This year’s participants include Robinson, as well as Selkirk volunteer firefighters Tennielle Toussaint and Gwen LeTutour. While Toussaint and LeTutour have done the stairclimb before, it will be a first for Robinson.
“We are all working out and conditioning, training on the Stairmaster in our gear pretty frequently,” Robinson said.
The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is the world’s largest on-air stairclimb competition, according to the event website. The money raised through sponsorships, individual and department fundraising, and entry fees directly supports the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Completing the climb is a physical challenge, but it is also symbolic of the strenuous journey that all cancer patients endure, according to the website. As firefighters race to the top of the tower, they keep in mind that every step forward is representative of moving toward finding a cure for those battling a blood cancer.
In 2017, the event featured 2,000 firefighters from over 330 different departments and nine different countries, raising a record $2.4 million for blood cancer research and patient services.
Participants are required to raise at least $300 prior to the event, and each year local firefighters hold a fundraiser to raise as much money as possible to help those with blood cancer.
Robinson, Toussaint and LeTutour will be holding a fundraiser on Saturday, and those who would like to donate to their cause will be able to find them on the Stairmaster in the Ponderay Walmart between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.