2018 FILE PHOTO — From left to right, Riverside Fire Capt. Scott Weinert, Firefighter/Paramedic Brandon Wise, Lt. Chris Layton and volunteer firefighter Amy Chamber.
In March, 2,000 firefighters, all donning their gear and masks, will take to the seemingly endless flights of stairs at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle — going up flight after flight until exhaustedly reaching the top.
No, it’s not some sadistic training requirement — although participants are calling it a worthy test of their physical fitness — it’s instead something of a metaphor of taking steps forward in the fight to find a cure to leukemia and lymphoma.
“Throughout the 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps, and 788 (feet) of vertical elevation, gain, we all remember that every step forward is representative of moving closer to a cure. Although this is an extreme test of physical endurance, it pales in comparison to what blood cancer patients endure,” reads an excerpt from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) website.
Four firefighters from Centralia’s Riverside Fire Authority will be among the ranks. One of them, Capt. Scott Weinert, said he participated 17 years prior. Despite the passage of time, he recalls the extensive physical exhaustion one experiences on the steady incline.
“You’re completely gassed,” he said, saying that they wear their masks, and are on air the entire time. At the top, you’re helped out of your gear and given a chance to enjoy the view from the top of the second-highest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. Then, an elevator mercifully takes them back down.
Weinert said in the time between now and the event, he plans to start implementing a stair-climbing machine into his workout routine. The most strenuous part of the ordeal is on the cardiovascular system, because the air masks alter the way you breathe.
The event, now in its 28th year, has raised more than $17 million in cancer research for LLS. Each firefighter is tasked with raising at least $300 by the time of the climb.
Weinert said once the holiday season is over, he and the other three participants — Brandon Wise, Chris Layton and Amy Chambers — will likely take part in some area events to raise awareness and cash. Although a date hasn’t been pegged down yet, Thorbeckes Fitlife Center is interested in playing host to an upcoming event, he said. They’ll likely use the spot to train on a stair-climbing machine and invite members of the public to show up, learn a bit about the event and give some money.
Anyone is also welcome to give at this website: http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/LLSWA/llswaFF?pg=team&fr_id=1620&team_id=68270.
Despite the strain and drain, the 2,000 spots fill quickly when registration opened. Weinert likened registration to buying tickets to a hot concert. It takes some fast clicking.
“It’s a privilege to be able to participate in this event,” he said.
Besides raising money for a good cause, there’s a shared sense of fraternity among the firefighters participating. The drive to Seattle from Lewis County might be a short one, but other participants come from far and wide to haul their 50-pound packs to the top of the Columbia Center.
“We represent the people that we serve and that’s what I’m proud to do, and would like to show that our community cares,” said Weinert.
