Kent firefighter Art Weichbrodt will have plenty of motivation when he runs up 69 flights of stairs at the Columbia Center skyscraper in Seattle in full fire gear and a self contained breathing apparatus.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The 22nd annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb race<\/a> is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society<\/a>. Weichbrodt and 13 other Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority members will compete in the March 10 event. Climb, conquer and cure is the fundraising theme.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “I’m competitive and like the challenge physically and I have friends whose children are affected by leukemia,” Weichbrodt said. “One lost a daughter and the other friend has a child with leukemia.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Each firefighter will race up 1,311 steps on 69 flights of stairs for an elevation gain of 788 feet to the Columbia Center’s observation deck. A total of 1,552 firefighters from 281 departments participated last year and raised a record $1.2 million for blood-cancer research and patient services.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Kent firefighters raised more than $7,000 last year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “Our goal this year is $10,000,” Weichbrodt said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n As part of the effort to reach that goal, firefighters will appear from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Kent Station shopping mall fountain stage. Firefighters will rotate climbing a stair machine during the two hours as they seek donations. There also will be a poster for people to sign if they have a name of someone they want the firefighters to climb for. Firefighters will be in gear and a fire truck is expected to be on site part of the time to help draw attention to the event.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “This is the first time we’ve had a fundraiser as a group,” said Weichbrodt, in his 14th year with the Kent Fire Department. “Kent Station has been extremely supportive. It’s a great venue.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n