Way Too Many ...

69 Flights I 1,356 Steps I 788 Ft. Vertical Elevation

... friends, comrades and friends of friends have struggled with, or fallen to, blood cancers.   I've lost good friends and a great mentor to these diseases, and another precious friend and mentor is fighting another blood cancer.   It's tempting to say, "it stops now,"  but individually, we don't have that power,  Each of us can only do her or his small part.   This year, my small part is to get myself to Seattle on March 10, put on my turnouts and SCBA, drag my body to the top of the stairs one more time, and try to raise as much money as I can for the friends I have lost, and for the friends who are pushing themselves even harder to overcome blood cancers, for themselves, for the ones they love, and for what they still have to give to the world.

Please consider joining me for a small step in a magnificent effort -- THANK YOU!!
What is the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb?

The LLS Firefighter Stairclimb is the world's largest on-air stair climb competition, and annual fundraiser held at the tallest building in town, the Columbia Center. All 2,000 participants are career, volunteer, or retired firefighters who will climb up the second tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi in full turnout gear, weighing over 60 pounds, while on-air. Throughout this grueling course, 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. All proceeds raised directly benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and since its inception in 1991, this event has raised over $22 million thus far.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and sincere generosity in this cause worth climbing for.