Firefighters climb for fundraiser

Five Pullman firefighters climbed Seattle's Columbia Center Tower Sunday, March 9, in an annual challenge event. They raised $3,040 for the fight against blood cancer. One of the initial members of the team, Sam Loger, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last December and began treatment last month. He had to withdraw from the team, but team members wore "Climbing for Sam" shirts at the event.

They raised the $3,040 by climbing 1,311 steps on 69 flights of stairs in full protective gear and getting all their air from their self-contained breathing apparatus, which adds another 50-75 pounds to their equipment. The vertical climb was 788 feet.

Firefighters who participated were Andrew Chiavaras, Paul Heebink, Justin Bodolay, Roy Godina and Ryan Palmberg. They averaged 28 minutes per member.