They came. They climbed. They conquered and they supported the 1 in 5 people who contend with breathing problems on a daily basis.
More than 500 participants – amongst them more than 300 BC firefighters – showed up on Sunday (Feb. 23) morning for the BC Lung Association’s 19th annual Climb the Wall event.
Organizers welcomed double last year’s count of firefighters to the 48-storey climb to the top of the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel. Each firefighter competed for fastest climb time wearing full firefighting protective gear, carrying an extra 50lbs+ on their backs.
Included in the line-up of firefighters was Mission Fire Rescue Services, who participated for the 11th time and rank amongst the event’s top fundraising teams with a current total of $4,776.
Team captain, Casey Inglis, and team member, Richard Rosenthal, ranked among the top fundraising individuals, with $1,605 and $1,226 respectively.
In addition, some 200 non-firefighter climbers, cheerleaders, fundraisers and volunteers got involved in the fundraising efforts.
“This was a standout year for our Climb the Wall event, in large part thanks to the enthusiasm of our key event partners, chief amongst them BC’s firefighting community,” said BC Lung Association CEO, Chris Lam. “The sense of community spirit in the room was palpable. I could see hundreds of sweaty, smiling faces around me, all there supporting one another. It was clear that something special was achieved.”