Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge sets another fundraising record

Firefighters from over 234 brigades across the country have set another new fundraising record for the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge on May 28 raising just over $1,161,000 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand. The event hit the million dollar milestone for the first time in 2015.

More than 850 firefighters from across the country took part in the event, racing up the 1,103 stairs of Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower wearing 25 kilograms of gear. The 2016 target was set at $850,000 which was achieved three days before the event and continued to rapidly climb.

The firefighters have been enthusiastically fundraising for months during their weekends, holidays and late nights in order to reach the fundraising total. Brigades came up with many creative fundraising initiatives including selling one of a kind items on Trademe and gruelling physical challenges as well as bucket shaking in their local communities.

With so many wonderful fundraising initiatives taking place around the country the spot for the top individual fundraiser within a team was highly contested and went to Simon Oliver from the Taranaki Stair Climb team who raised $14,671.20. The top individual fundraiser not in a team went to Daniel Coley from the Bunnythorpe Volunteer Fire Brigade who raised $5343.70.

The team that raised the most money was Auckland Airport Fire Rescue who raised $64,280.82. The brigade who raised the most money based on the number of firefighters in the team was Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade who raised $24,136.72.

The current top record holder for speed is Josh Harrison from Mount Wellington Station who has kept his first place spot for six years running reaching the top of the tower in 8 minutes and 48 seconds. In second place for a second year was William Garnett from Auckland Airport Fire Rescue who completed the climb in 9 minutes and 35 seconds, while Nick Graham from Otahuhu Station came third with a time of 9 minutes and 43 seconds.

The fastest woman up the tower was Tracey Lemon from Waihi Beach Volunteer Fire Brigade with a time of 13 minutes and 57 seconds. For a full record of race results please visit http://www.firefightersclimb.org.nz

Pru Etcheverry, CEO of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, says she is so humbled at the amount of time, effort and commitment every participant has put in to fundraising for this event.

“We simply are just speechless that we have hit yet another fundraising milestone and are so very grateful to the firefighters for going so above and beyond for LBC.”

“Their commitment to raising this money means that we can continue to be there for more patients around the country and in these communities who have supported their local brigades in so many ways,” says Ms Etcheverry.

The event is supported by SKYCITY (the major sponsor), Auckland Airport and Tait Communications.

ENDS

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