South Whatcom Fire Authority’s team placed 11th in total fundraising for the 25th annual Firefighter Stairclimb, collecting $27,279 to fight blood cancers, it was announced this week.
Firefighters raised a total $2.3 million this year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s event on March 6, in which 1,800 firefighters from around the world climbed 69 stories of the Columbia Tower in Seattle wearing full fire gear.
In addition, South Whatcom firefighters were seventh in total team time, as their top three participants finished in a combined 42 minutes, 52 seconds. Volunteer firefighter Peter Ellis placed sixth overall with an individual time of 12:17.
Firefighters raised money by collecting donations at area supermarkets and theaters, and held a silent auction and bone marrow registry drive. South Whatcom firefighters have raised about $73,000 for blood cancer research since the fire agency was founded in 2009.