A team of 13 from the Delta fire department, climbed and conquered the stairs at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel Sunday morning in Vancouver.
Delta firefighters were among the more than 300 from across B.C. as well as more than 200 non-firefighting climbers who raised thousands of dollars at the 19th annual Climb the Wall fundraiser for the BC Lung Association.
Each firefighter competed for a fastest climb time wearing full firefighting protective gear, carrying an extra 50-pounds on their backs.
Delta participated for the fifth time, ranking amongst the event’s top 10 fundraising teams with more than $4,800 raised this year.
Delta’s team included: Eric Wilson, Tim Mooney, Dave Sears, Joe Semler, Monica Podgorski, Jordan Penman, Nathan Killam, Tanner Gunn, Terrill Hagar, Tony Marra, Trevor Fleming, Keegan Rittinger and Cole Macinnes.
“It was a great day for our Delta team with some stair climb veterans and new members out for their first attempt,” said Wilson, Delta’s team captain. “It was amazing to see the huge turnout of firefighters for this year’s event. As always it was an amazing day. It’s a huge physical challenge and a chance for our members to push themselves to the extremes of our job requirements.
“It’s also a unique opportunity to interact with members from fire departments who we may not cross paths with in our day-to-day work environment, and of course it’s fantastic to be able to contribute to the BC Lung Association, especially as firefighters knowing that we face a much greater risk of suffering from lung issues due to the nature of our work.”
According to the BC Lung Association, funds raised this year currently sits at $125,000 – 50 per cent higher than was achieved in 2019, with additional funds expected to come in over the next couple of days.
“This was a standout year for our Climb the Wall event, in large part thanks to the enthusiasm of our key event partners, chief amongst them BC’s firefighting community,” said BC Lung Association CEO, Chris Lam. “The sense of community spirit in the room was palpable. I could see hundreds of sweaty, smiling faces around me, all there supporting one another. It was clear that something special was achieved.”
During the past 20 years, participants have raised more than $2,000,000 for the cause.
