Eight firefighters from the Sunshine Coast raised about $10,000 for the BC Lung Association (BCLA) at this year’s Climb the Wall: Stair Climb for Clean Air on Feb. 20.
Sechelt’s soon-to-be-retired fire chief Bill Higgs was the top fundraiser, bringing in more than $7,500.
“I did it as a bit of a swan song for my career,” Higgs said. “I’m retiring here at the end of April, so I’m trying to set a good example here for my guys and to raise money for what the BCLA does. To that end I ended up raising about $7,500 – which was the highest in the province. I got a nice fruit basket out of the deal.”
This was the 15th year of Climb the Wall, an annual event held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel. Participants collect donations to climb 48 floors – close to 800 stairs – with proceeds going to BCLA for research into lung diseases. BCLA raised close to $70,000 in total this year.
More than 300 people participated, but only firefighters do the gruelling climb in full firefighting gear.
“Oh man, it’s hot. And you’re carrying all this extra weight, and you’re breathing out through an air mask. So the physical aspect is very difficult,” Higgs said. “Last year when I did it, I thought, ‘Oh man, this was way harder than I thought.’ Then this year I thought, ‘This is way harder than I remember.’”
Higgs said he has a personal investment in raising money for BCLA’s research because firefighting has a much higher risk of lung disease than most other jobs.
“Our occupation exposes us to cancer-causing, lung-irritating and toxic chemicals that no matter how hard we try to protect ourselves we end up breathing,” Higgs said. “Given that reason, the fire service really wants to support the BCLA in their efforts to provide research into lung disease, and cures to it and different therapies.”
Higgs finished the eight-floor climb to the top of the Sheraton in about 20 minutes, shaving four minutes off his time from last year.
Four firefighters from Sechelt – including Higgs – were joined by three from Gibsons and one from Roberts Creek. Gibsons fire Chief Rob Michael did the ascent for the first time this year, finishing in just over 16 minutes.
“I would recommend it for everyone to at least try out once, it lets you know where you’re at,” Michael said. “It’s definitely a worthwhile cause for firefighters to be participating in. We’re all very aware of the risks that come with firefighting, like the cancers. I think that’s why you see such good participation from – not just firefighters – but firefighters locally.”
Michael said he found the most challenging part wasn’t the physical exertion as much as the mental exhaustion from contemplating how far 48 floors is.
“It’s never ending. I took advice from someone who had done the challenge before and didn’t look at the floor numbers as I was going up,” Michael said. “I think the worst part – for me – was when I got to about the 20th floor and I heard some people shouting, ‘You’re almost halfway!’ Couldn’t they tell me I was halfway, not almost halfway?”
