Next week, a half dozen Squamish firefighters will strap on 50 pounds of firefighting gear and attack the steps of a downtown Vancouver skyscraper as part of a fundraiser for the B.C. Lung Association.
Derek Marshall, a volunteer firefighter with the Squamish Fire Rescue Service, on Wednesday (Feb. 16) said he and five of his compatriots are among the hundreds who will attempt to climb the 739 steps over 48 floors at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel on Sunday, Feb. 27, for the Stair Climb for Clean Air.
The event, which is in its 10th year, will involve about 500 citizens including firefighters from communities around the Lower Mainland, Marshall said.
Marshall and his fellow firefighters have been working out twice a week on the stairs at Squamish's No. 1 fire hall.
"We have to climb the staircase 17 times to equal the height of the Wall Centre," Marshall said in a statement from the B.C. Lung Association. "To make sure we're prepared, we've been climbing the staircase 20 times.
"It's a great way to stay fit and at the same time raise money for the B.C. Lung Association. Those of us climbing for the second time this year are hoping to improve our times, since we know what to expect."
Citizens are being urged to support participants' efforts through pledges. Marshall said people can make pledges for individual participants or teams such as the one from the Squamish Fire Rescue Service. For more information, visit www.bclung.ca
