1500 firefighters from all over the world (the US, Canada, and New Zealand) will descend upon Seattle this Sunday for the biggest single firefighter event in the world. These amazing people will climb 69 stories in the Columbia Center, the tallest building in Seattle, all in an effort to stamp out blood cancers. Get this ... the record time is 10 and a half minutes!! I've waited longer for elevators! Last year's winner, a 29 yr old Missoula firefighter, did it in 11.135 minutes. That's nuts! Imagine how tired you would feel after sprinting up 1311 stairs, that's 788 vertical feet. CRAZY!
I couldn't even breathe in my live hit after running up about 20 stairs ... maybe that's a sign that I should be at Husky Stadium running stairs on a more regular basis ... lol.
Firefighters aged 18-69 will strap on almost 60lbs of gear (bunker gear & breathing apparatus) and sprint-climb up to the 73rd floor. I spent the morning with two amazing guys that are competing in the challenge. Firefighter Dan Nelson and Firefighter Pat McNerthney are 60 & 61 respectively, and spent the entire time in between our shoots doing stairs - they had to get their training in I guess. We were also joined by Anne Gillingham, the Executive Director of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Anne and her team are the ones that make sure the money raised goes to patients, their families & caregivers, and live saving research.
The awesome team this morning! Pat, Anne & Dan
These guys are seriously fit!
Doing my best "firefighter holding a hose" impression
SO HOW CAN YOU HELP?????
Well for starters we need to you to go to Firefighter Stairclimb and donate dollars, benjamins, moola. You can pledge toward a specific climber or to a department. Whatever you can give will help. These guys are going to sprint up Columbia Center in support of folks with blood cancers ... it's the least you and I can do.
No comments:
Post a Comment