What is Big Climb?

At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle is one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi. It takes 69 floors, or 1,311 steps, to reach the highly acclaimed Sky View Observatory with breathtaking views of the entire Puget Sound region. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Big Climb event raises money through individual and team fundraising, sponsorship and entry fees which is then invested in its mission to fund blood cancer research and support services for patients and their families. In 2018, the Big Climb raised a record-breaking $3,007,080. Big Climb Seattle will be taking place on Sunday, March 24, 2024.

What is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society?

The mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

The LLS 501(c)3 tax id number is 13-5644916

How do I register, and is there a fee?

You can register by clicking "Register" in the header at the top of the page. September 28 - December 31: $50, January 1 - February 29: $60, March 1 - 24: $70.

Is there an age requirement to participate?

Big Climb 2024 is open to participants 8 years of age or older.

Is there a fundraising requirement?

Yes. All participants must raise the fundraising minimum to climb on March 24 and receive their event t-shirt. Participants 18 and older are required to raise a minimum of $150 and participants 17 and under are required to raise a minimum of $100.

When is general registration?

Registration opened at 9:00 am on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Can team captains sign up team members?

Yes, you can register your team members. You will need the following information for each team member:

If you are the team captain and you are registering your team, please click the "register a team member" on the review page to continue signing members up.

Please note you may need their username and password if you have already finished and paid for yourself and they are returning participants.

- Full name

- Gender

- Email address

- Phone number

- Address

- Age on event day

- Shirt size

- Their emergency contact with a phone number

- If they are a patient or survivor

- If they are participating as a climber or racer.

It is very important that you know their email address (and do not put your own in) as putting your email address will keep them from receiving important event updates and login information. Please note, if registering other participants, you will be required to pay their registration fee.

What is a racer and a climber?

Racers: All participants will be timed in both stairwells at Big Climb 2024. Racers are those who plan to finish the climb in 30 minutes or less.

Climbers: All participants will be timed in both stairwells at Big Climb 2024. Climbers are those who are ready to conquer the stairs at their own pace.

I didn’t raise the minimum last year, can I climb this year?

Yes, all participants must raise the minimum to participate on event day. Weren't able to meet this requirement last year? Try again this year! Our staff will work with you to meet your fundraising goal.

How long will it take for gifts to be processed and counted towards my fundraising total?

Online donations are processed automatically and immediately applied to your fundraising total. Gifts made by check or money order will be processed and applied to your fundraising total within 48 hours of being received by the LLS PNW donation team at P.O. Box 102488, Pasadena, CA 91189-2488. Please note: Cash and check processing will be delayed if checks are sent to our LLS local office.

How do I know if my company has a matching gift program and how do I use it?

Many companies have programs that match the charitable contributions of their employees. This can double and sometimes triple the amount of a donation, at no additional cost to the employee—a great way to increase your impact! Matching gifts will not be posted until all necessary, completed paperwork and funds have been received from both the employee/company and LLS Washington Alaska Chapter.

LLS tax id number will be required: 13-5644916. If you have questions, please reach out to matchinggifts.pnw@lls.org.

Once you have requested the match through your employer, please forward your confirmation to bigclimbseattle@lls.org.

Is there a mandatory fundraising requirement?

Yes. All participants ages 18 and older are required to fundraise a minimum of $150. All participants under the age of 18 are required to fundraise a minimum of $100. All participants must raise the fundraising minimum to climb on March 24th and receive their event t-shirt. This is in addition to the registration fee. Registration fees are non-refundable once you have registered for Big Climb Seattle.

How do I make a donation to an individual or a team?

You can make a donation to an individual or a team by clicking "Donate" at the top of the page.

What is the Summit Club and Elite 30?

The Summit Club is a reserved area for the top 15 teams. The teams that qualify must raise the most in one of three categories by 5:00pm on March 20th, 2024. The top 5 overall fundraising teams, the top 5 small per-capita teams, and the top 5 large per-capita teams will receive a spot in the Summit Club, where they will receive special gifts, catered food, and a designated area for their team to gather and hang out on event day.

How are team donations handled?

Team donations are equally divided amongst the team members after the event. This amount will be added to individual fundraising amounts to come up with participant totals, and will count toward qualifying for incentive prizes. Team donations will not count toward Elite 30 member totals. Please note, team donations are separate from the mandatory fundraising minimum.

What are fundraising promotions and how do I qualify?

Big Climb holds fundraising competitions posted on social media and in the monthly newsletters leading up to the climb. Participants can collect donations during these competitions for a chance to win prizes.

When you register, you will receive a welcome packet that also includes all planned fundraising promotions.

Can I climb if I have not raised the fundraising minimum?

No. All Big Climb participants must raise the fundraising minimum to climb and receive an event t-shirt.

Will I be timed?

Yes. All Big Climb 2024 participants will be timed. Please see information on racers and climbers in the registration section of FAQs.

Where can I park?

Free parking is available for all event participants and volunteers at the Columbia Center. The entrance to the parking lot is located on Columbia Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues. Please be aware that you may be directed to another overflow parking garage nearby.

Does LLS partner with any hotels in the area?

The Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square has a room block for Big Climb. More details to come soon.

When should I be there?

30-45 minutes prior to your assigned start time. Please take into consideration the time it will take you to find parking.

Where is the Summit Club / VIP area?

Summit club/ VIP area is located on the second floor of the Columbia Center.

What should I expect?

On event day, the first floor of the Columbia Center will have Check-In, Bag Check, T-shirt pickup, and sponsor/vendor booths. Additionally, this is where you will start lining up for your assigned start time for both racers and climbers. The second floor is for Summit Club / VIP members only. The fourth floor is where participants will enter the stairwell! Be prepared to get your start line photo taken here.

While in the stairs, there will be 5 water stops, fans, and all of our participants’ dedication signs as you climb the 69 floors to the top.

After crossing the finish line, you will be able to take in 360° views of the Puget Sound at the newly renovated Sky View Observatory before going to the 4th floor to fuel up and recover.

Can my friends and family wait for me at the finish line?

No. Due to space limitations, no spectators are allowed at the finish line. Friends and family are welcome to wait at the Atrium level and watch participants on Facebook Live.

How do I request a dedication sign?

You can request a dedication sign in the "Mission" section at the top of this page. Please complete this form each year you participate.

How are start times assigned and when will I receive my assigned time?

Start times are assigned based on fundraising standings. Approximately 80 participants will be assigned per start time starting at 8:30 a.m. Start times are spaced 15 minutes apart (8:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., etc) with the last start time at 11:00am.

Start times will be emailed to all participants 2 weeks prior to event day.

Can I bring anything into the stairwells with me?

No. With limited space in the stairwells and the risk of dropping something, we cannot let anything into the stairwells. This includes backpacks, camelbacks, baby backpacks, etc. There will be 5 water stops throughout the race, so bringing a water bottle is not necessary. Please drop off all items at bag check before your start time to avoid being sent back down with your items.

Will I get an event t-shirt?

Participants who raise the fundraising minimum before or on event day will receive an event t-shirt! The fundraising minimum is $150 for adults 18 and older, and $100 for those between the ages of 8 and 17.

When & where is Packet Pick-Up?

Packet Pickup will be available at the Columbia Center on event day.

You may pick up packets for your friends, family and teammates. Teams of 10 or more will be packaged together in one large envelope: one person is responsible for picking up all of these packets (for teams 10+) together.

As a reminder, you still have the opportunity to pick up packets on event day.

Please note: Any switches between racer/climber or participant substitutions requested after March 1st must be made at packet pick-up or on event day at the Swaps/Changes table, and will require a $10 fee. Changes at packet pick up and on event day are not guaranteed.

General Information: COVID-19

As a health organization, the well-being of the patients we serve especially the many immunocompromised blood cancer patients - as well as our staff, volunteers, partners, and attendees at our events is our top priority. LLS vigilantly follows CDC and local public health guidelines, and decisions are being made based on each local community. With these priorities in mind, LLS will be offering in-person meetings and fundraising events as appropriate.

Will Big Climb Seattle be holding an in person event in 2024?

Currently, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is moving forward with planning an in-person 2024 Big Climb Seattle on March 24th, 2024 at the Columbia Center. We are enhancing our protocols for in-person events to ensure we provide the healthiest environments possible. We will also work to ensure all safety precautions are in place to support our attendees.

We will also work to ensure all safety precautions are in place to support our attendees. LLS is evaluating our event “high touch” and “high capacity” areas to keep you safe and will be creating social procedures to be implemented at each in-person event.