Stair-climbing Bend firefighters seek assist

On March 11, Bend firefighters competed in the annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb challenge in Seattle.

This event is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and draws firefighters from around the world to Seattle to climb 69 floors of Seattle’s tallest building, the Columbia Center.

They do the climb in all of their protective gear including air tank and mask, more than 60 pounds of total gear worn as they climb the 1,311 steps.

All 14 Bend firefighters successfully completed the event, with Captain Scott Wyman finishing with the fastest Bend time (for the third year in a row) at 13 minutes, 20 seconds. That finish earned him 19 th overall out of the 1,475 firefighters who completed the climb.

Each of the Bend firefighters carried with him a photograph of Colin Ellingson, a La Pine 12 year old boy who is currently battling leukemia.

We STILL need your help ! While all the firefighters have returned from Seattle, fundraising continues until the end of March. Please help the Bend Firefighters to fight cancer by going to the website www.firefighterstairclimb.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” tab. You can search for Bend Fire & Rescue there and donate on behalf of the entire Bend team, or individually for your favorite firefighter. Each donation goes directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for blood-cancer research and patient services.

Please help us make a difference in the fight against cancer!

For more information please visit www.firefighterstairclimb.org