On Sunday, March 12 four Lubbock firefighters will climb up more than 60 stories of the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle, Washington in honor of those battling Leukemia and Lymphoma.
The annual “Scott Firefighter Stairclimb” is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual fundraiser open solely to firefighters who will be geared up in an extra 50-70 pounds worth of firefighter gear as they make the venture up the building.
This year will be the society’s 26th year hosting the fundraiser, where an expected 2,000 firefighters from around the world are expected to participate in. Of those, 11 will represent Texas, four from Lubbock. The group has called themselves, “Team Texas.”
Lubbock firefighter, Adrian Barajas, first participated in the event three years ago. He says the fundraiser’s purpose and mission is one that hits close to home.
“In 2011, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia and I lost my best friend to lymphoma. So, yeah, near and dear to our heart it’s just something I wanted to show support for my family and also my friend’s family,” shared Barajas. “This is the only way that we could help fundraise and raise money for cancer research so hopefully no one else has to go through what we went through.”
Thanks to Barajas, this will be the third year in a row that Lubbock is represented in the internationally-recognized event. Since his first stairclimb, he’s inspired fellow firefighters like, Kris Kelly, to join in on the effort.
“It’s climbing 69 stories in full bunker gear, on air, breathing air from our cylinders. So it is a pretty big challenge, a pretty big feat to do, but the sacrifice that we make climbing these stairs is nothing compared to somebody that’s battling cancerous diseases,” said Kelly, who will be participating in the stair climb for the second year in a row.
Kelly and Brajas say while Team Texas is excited to make the trip to Seattle, they share they cannot do it alone. Anyone participating in the event must pay their own way, and that’s why they’re calling on their community for help.
On Wednesday, March 1, Teddy Jacks will host a fundraiser event for Team Texas. Community members are encouraged to drop by and meet some of the Lubbock firefighters participating in the stairclimb, donate to the cause, and even enter to win some raffle prizes. There will also be Team Texas T-shirts available for purchase.
15% of the restaurant’s sales will also go toward the firefighters’ fundraiser. To learn more about the cause and you can help, please visit:
