Raising Funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society One Step at a Time -- On Saturday, March 6, 2011, a group of 11 Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) firefighters will travel to Seattle, Washington to compete with other firefighters from across the United States in the 20th Annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb. 

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb supports the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Portland Firefighters have been busy raising money through sponsorships, fundraising, and entry fees. In 2010, the event featured over 1,500 firefighters from 247 different fire agencies and brought in a record $780,000 for blood-cancer research and patient services.

What is the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb? 

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is a timed race up the stairs at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle, Washington in full fire gear and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle, Washington stands as the second tallest building west of the Mississippi. It takes 69 flights of stairs and 1,311 steps to reach the observation deck overlooking the city.

There will be a bottle changing station on the 40th floor for firefighters to get a fresh bottle of air to finish the ascent. Time starts at the bottom of the tower with a 15 second interval between climbers, and stops when you reach the top floor.

The 2011 climb honors four-year-old Hunter Smith of Port Orchard, Washington and 16-year-old Breonia Adam of Stayton, Oregon who both are successfully undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells and the most common form of leukemia among adolescents. Read their inspirational stories here.

Preparing for the Climb

Portland Fire & Rescue provides a comprehensive health and wellness program for firefighters as well as workout rooms in each of the 30 stations across the City of Portland.  Daily workouts are encouraged in order to keep the firefighters in peak physical condition in order to perform their jobs proficiently.

Portland Firefighter Roi Gershom at Station 15 in SW Portland has readied himself for the climb by staying active and cross-training outside of work. Firefighter Roi notes that he enjoys the preparation and training, the friendly competition between firefighters, the personal challenge, and raising money for a great cause.

Learn More about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services. The mission of LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $550 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers.

How You Can Help

Click here to locate Portland Fire & Rescue's Team on the official stairclimb website. Next, select your favorite firefighter(s) or donate in general to the Portland Fire & Rescue team.

If you would prefer to use a non-electronic donation, please mail donations directly to:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Attn: Firefighter Stairclimb

NOTE THE TEAM/INDIVIDUAL YOU ARE DONATING TO HERE

530 Dexter Ave. N, Suite 300

Seattle WA 98109

   Portland Fire & Rescue 

   We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

   March 4, 2011

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