Fifteen members of the Olds Fire Department (OFD) participated in the annual Firefighters Stair Climb Challenge in Calgary on May 5 and did well -- some broke their previous climb times and the group as a whole raised far more money for a cancer group than they did last year.
During the event, firefighters wearing their full gear — which weighs more than 40 pounds — climb all 1,204 stairs of Calgary’s The Bow building as fast as they can to raise money for Wellspring Calgary.
That organization provides support, resources and programs for people living with cancer and those who care about them.
This year, 15 OFD members took part, up from 11 last year, and they raised $8,495 for Wellspring, far beyond the $5,481 obtained last year.
In total, 597 firefighters climbed The Bow building, raising more than $400,000 for the cause, and that figure continues to rise.
"All members completed the climb in under an hour all with smiles on their faces," spokesman Noel D'arcy said in an email. "Most of us bettered our times from last year and some of our first time climbers set the bar high with quick times."
D'arcy was told Olds had the most firefighters participating, except for the Calgary Fire Department.
