March 27, 2012 -- On Sunday, September 23, 2012, firefighters from Portland and the entire state will join with firefighters from Washington, California, and as far away as Florida, Tennessee, Colorado and Montana to compete in the 4th annual Portland Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge.

During the stairclimb, firefighters will race up 40 floors or 800 steps of the U.S. Bancorp Tower in downtown Portland in over 70 pounds of full firefighting gear. Each firefighter will climb to raise awareness and funds in the battle against Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In 2010, the event alone raised over $70,000 that was donated directly to the Oregon Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis.

Register to Participate in the Stairclimb
Sign up for the 2012 Portland Stairclimb opens on April 2, 2012 at 9:00 am PST. The first 50 firefighters to register online will receive a Z-Rex rescue tool from Leatherman. Firefighters can register at http://www.portlandstairclimb.com/.

History
Wes Loucks, a retired Portland Fire & Rescue Firefighter of 32 years, and his wife Belinda founded the Portland Firefighter Stairclimb when both of their young grandsons were born with CF. CF is a chronic genetic disease impacting a child's lung and digestive system. Currently, more than 30,000 children in American have CF. In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. However, there is no cure for CF. Wes is now calling on his friends, firefighters and community to help raise money for research that will aid in finding the cure.

Help Climb for the Cure
Although the Portland Firefighter Stairclimb is open only to firefighters, the public can help in several different ways.

• 3rd Annual Cowlitz Firefighters Local 3828 Texas Hold’Em Tournament: The tournament will be held on May 12, 2012 at 5:00 pm at the Kelso Eagles, 609 S. Pacific Avenue, Kelso, Washington. All proceeds will benefit the CF Foundation. More information at https://sites.google.com/site/portlandstairclimb/upcoming-events.
• Survive the Burn 5K/10K: On September 8, 2012, a 5K and 10K run will be held in Salem, Oregon.  Additional details at http://survivetheburn.org/.
• Donations: Visit http://www.portlandstairclimb.com to make a donation that will support the mission of the CF Foundation and help keep pace with current commitments to vital cystic fibrosis research and care.