Firefighters raising funds to fight cancer

SANDPOINT — Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS is stepping up its game with their largest team yet to take on the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb challenge in Seattle next month, with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for blood cancer.

Ten local firefighters will head to the Emerald City on March 10 to brave the 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps and 788 feet of elevation gain of Seattle’s Columbia Center — while wearing roughly 50 pounds of firefighter gear and a self-contained breathing apparatus.

A growing emphasis on health and wellness at Selkirk Fire prompted more of the crew to join the team this year, said Clint Frank, Selkirk engineer and stairclimb team member.

“We have an annual health and wellness physical at the doctor, and then we do physical agility every year now, and that has just come about in the last couple of years,” Frank said. “I think because of those initiatives, the fire department is in a healthier state to serve the public, and to live better on and off duty lives.”

Selkirk volunteer firefighter Gwen Le Tutour is the team captain this year, and is also the inspiration behind the growing health and wellness movement in the department after he completed a world record, 100-mile run in full firefighter gear — down to the boots — last April for cancer prevention.

“This is just another way to do something to help people with cancer,” Le Tutour said.

In addition to the department moving in a fitness-oriented direction, Zach Ukich, Selkirk engineer, said it is also about camaraderie.

“Our workouts are getting longer and harder, and we do that on duty as well as off duty,” Ukich said. “To carry that over in an off-duty event that inspires camaraderie ... kind of keeping each other in check, that’s important.”

What it comes down to, though, Frank said, is the stairclimb is always about one thing — raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to find a cure for blood cancer.

Completing the climb is a physical challenge, but it is also symbolic of the strenuous journey that all cancer patients endure, according to the event website. As firefighters race to the top of the tower, they keep in mind that every step forward is representative of moving toward finding a cure for those battling a blood cancer.

Each firefighter has their own method of training for the stairclimb. Le Tutour, for example, is taking advantage of his job at Schweitzer as a skate skiing instructor. The bursts of intense uphill skiing followed by a short rest, he said, should be good preparation for the stairclimb. Ukich, who is participating in the event for the first time this year, said he is training with calisthenics and cardio. In the last couple weeks, he said, he has been focused on more stair-specific workouts, such as the Stairmaster. He also hits the slopes and, with his 2-year-old in tow, said skiing gives his legs a good workout.

Le Tutour said this is his third year participating in the stairclimb, and even longer for several of the team members, including Allo Pucci, Tennille Toussaint and Britian Whitley. Frank said he is an eight-year veteran of the event, though he took a couple of years off.

With a jesting glance at Le Tutour, Frank said he is inspired to get out there again this year “beat the young guys.”

“I’m not going to let that happen,” Le Tutour said.

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is the world’s largest on-air stairclimb competition, according to the website. The money raised through sponsorships, individual and department fundraising, and entry fees directly supports the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

In 2018, the event featured 2,000 firefighters from around the world who raised a record $2.61 million for blood cancer research and patient services. Now in its 28th year, the stairclimb has raised more than $17 million for LLS.

Teams are required to raise at least $300 per person prior to the event, so the goal of the Selkirk Fire team is to raise a minimum of $3,000. Each year the local firefighters hold a fundraiser to raise as much money as possible to help those battling blood cancer.

On Saturday, the team will be at Super 1 Foods in Sandpoint from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., burning it up on the Stairmaster in full gear to gather donations.

Donations can also be made online through Selkirk’s team page at bit.ly/2t7yJ3T. The link to the donation page can also be found on Selkirk’s website at selkirkfire.com.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.