Spokane Firefighters compete in Seattle Stairclimb

Firefighter from the Spokane Fire Department travelled to Seattle this weekend for the largest firefighting stairclimb competition in the world. FF Jason Keen has the best time for the Spokane Fire Department team. He finished 12th in his age division and 35th overall. Congratulations Jason on a great time! click here for full race results.

All money raised by the event goes to for Leukemia and Lymphoma research

Here is more information on the Scott Fire Fighter Stairclimb

SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2008 . More than 1,000 firefighters from across the U.S., Canada and as far away as New Zealand are expected to sprint to the top of the Columbia Center - Seattle's tallest building, to fight blood cancer on Sunday, March 2 at the 17th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb.

The annual climb benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is recognized as the largest individual firefighting competition in the world and attracts firefighters from throughout Washington State and Oregon along with New York, Florida, Colorado, South Carolina, Nevada and California, Canada and as far away as New Zealand.

Clad in full bunker gear and breathing apparatus, collectively weighing about 50 lbs., firefighters ranging in age from 18 to 60 will sprint-climb 788 feet in vertical elevation (1,311 stairs / 69 stories) from the Fifth Avenue lobby to the 73rd floor observation deck of the 76-story Columbia Center. At 943 feet, about one-and-a-half times the height of the Space Needle, the Columbia Center is the tallest building (by stories) west of the Mississippi.

During the 2008 climb, The LLS will honor five-year-old Mason Watamura of University Place, Wash. near Tacoma as its Honored Patient. Last February, just 28 days after his fourth birthday and a month before his dad Brad Watamura, a firefighter/paramedic with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue was to have competed in the 2007 climb, Mason was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells that is the most common form of leukemia among children under 19 years old. With Mason hospitalized, Watamura, 32, missed the 2007 climb and was just coming to understand the impact of his son.s
disease.
“This year while I’m up there, I’m going to be thinking a lot about Mason and what’s gone on the last year” said Watamura, who will be competing in his sixth climb. “Everyone has a different reason why they climb. In previous years you’d get to about floor 12 and wonder why you are going through the pain. It will be much clearer this year”.

Mason, who is currently undergoing treatment that should be completed by 2010, is planning on attending the 2008 climb to cheer-on dad and the 10 climbers from Central Pierce Fire and Rescue that will be climbing in his honor.”The work that the
LLS has done has helped increase the survival rate” added Watamura. .”That’s a huge difference from what it could have turned out for us”
The 2007 climb attracted 1,253 firefighters from 200 fire departments raising over $365,000 through community-based fundraising campaigns leading up to the competition. The City of Buckley Fire Department in Washington State raised $36,407 for top honors among departments during last year.s competition with its chief, Alan Predmore raising $10,477 for top honors among individuals.