On March 8th over 2,000 fire fighters will ascend upon Seattle for the 2020 LLS Firefighter Stairclimb. This annual event helps raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The Valley Regional Fire Authority has a 14 member team. Each of these fire fighters will climb 69 flights of the Columbia Tower in their full full turnout gear, while on air.

We’ve put together a profile for some of the team members to help you get an idea of who they are, and about the importance of this event.

Fire Fighter: Cory Wallace
Station: 32 (off R St SE)
How many times have you done the climb: This is my 10th year
What is your fastest time: 17:57
What is the most difficult part of the climb: Breathing
Why do you climb: We did a fundraiser in the past at Dave and Busters. While there, a kid came up to us and the parents told us he was an honorary leukemia and lymphoma climber in the past. He is able to go to Dave and Busters because he is cured. Maybe he or his family were directly affected by funds raised from any department; and maybe is good enough for me.

The VRFA Team will be fundraising at at Fred Meyers this coming Sunday, March 1st. If you can not make it out, you can donate online to the team (click here).