SANDPOINT — Climb. Conquer. Cure.

In a sense, everything you need to know about Selkirk Fire, Rescue and EMS firefighters participation in the annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is there in its slogan.

Each year, local firefighters wearing more than 60 pounds of turnout gear join firefighters from around the world to take on the 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps and 788 feet of elevation of Seattle’s Columbia Center in March.

The annual stairclimb raises funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in an effort to find a cure for those battling blood cancer. With 10 Selkirk and Northside firefighters training for the 29th annual stairclimb competition, their goal is to raise $18,000 for LLS.

“It’s the largest group we’ve ever had,” said Selkirk team member Clint Frank. “It just continues to grow. Started off with a crew of 3 about 12 years ago and now it’s a crew of 10.

“It’s become kind of a thing in the fire department and everyone kind of wants to get on the team and be a part of the fundraising cause. It really keeps the guys accountable year-round because it is a brutal climb.”

So far the team has raised a combined $6,5000 of its $18,000 with another fundraiser planned for Friday at Super 1. Team members will be taking to a stairclimb machine at Super 1 in full gear and are inviting the community to come down, talk to the firefighters about their mission and donate a little money to help fight blood cancer. The event is taking place from 3-6 p.m. at the Sandpoint store and the firefighters are hoping to raise $1,000.

“Folks can come down to the event, talk to the firefighters, learn about how they’ve been preparing,” Frank said.

Friday’s Super 1 fundraiser follows similar events at Safeway and Yoke’s, which raised a combined $1,500.

This year’s team includes Jeff Littlefield, Allo Pucci, Britian Whitley, Zach Pohl, Tim Coles, Tennille Toussaint, Ethan Colby, Frank, Solan Wolf, and Gwen Le Tutour.

The goal this year is to raise $18,000 for LLS, with $6,500 raised so far, including a combined $1,500 raised at fundraisers at Safeway and Yoke’s.

In March 2019, the event featured more than 2,000 firefighters from around the world who raised a record $2.9 million for LLS. In addition to raising funds, it is a competition, and the top climber with Selkirk Fire — Le Tutour — has made it into the top 25 for the past two years in a row. Frank wasn’t far behind, finishing about a minute behind to finish just out of the top 50 firefighters. Overall, the Selkirk team finished in the top 25 out of about 110-120 teams taking part in the event.

In addition to the weight and other physical challenges, the firefighters are also on air with their self-contained breathing apparatus as they make their way to the acclaimed observation deck at the top of the tower. The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is the world’s largest on-air stair climbing competition, according to the event website. The money raised through sponsorships, individual and department fundraising, and entry fees directly supports the mission of LLS. Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $300, and the event has raised more than $20 million over the years.

While the event is fun and serves as a motivation to stay in shape, Frank said what it comes down to, though, 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.

Donations can also be made online through Selkirk’s team page at http://bit.ly/2ttx4sX. The link to the donation page can also be found on Selkirk’s website at selkirkfire.com.

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.