EAST HELENA — Two thousand firefighters from around the United States, and the world, participate in the Seattle Stairclimb to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Five East Helena volunteer firefighters, including the chief of the fire department Troy Maness, are joining the other firefighters participating in this 69-story climb that takes place in the second tallest building west of the Mississippi River.
"My training is a year-round training. So, I'm constantly in the stairwell of my gear and anywhere from 2 to 3 times a week, you know, depending on how well the knees hold out along with, with that," said Maness.
Firefighters complete the climb in full gear and add an additional 64 pounds. Maness, and his department, have been training for months for this event.
"Some of our guys, they kind of wait until the fall to start their training, you know, get in into the stairwell or they'll go to like Planet Fitness and get on the stir circle machine with their some of their gear on," said Maness.
While Maness is in his ninth year participating, for the past eight he has served as the State Ambassador for Montana for the Seattle Stair Climb.
"Eight years go. They were looking to add ambassadors for the state of Montana at the time. A gentleman out of Bozeman fire was the state ambassador and they decided that maybe we needed another one in the state. So I put my name in and here I am today, eight years later, still doing it," said Maness.
Maness believes he, and the other East Helena firefighters, have established a closer bond throughout the training for the stair climb in their efforts to raise money to cure cancer.
"So a lot of us will come here to city hall and just go up and down a gazillion times, about 37 to be exact, to get the number of floors that we're gonna be doing in the Columbia Center in Seattle," said Maness.
The Seattle Stairclimb will take place on Sunday, March 12.
To support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and donate to the Firefighter Stairclimb, click here
