Local firemen climb for a cure in Seattle

A group of Big Horn County Fire District #1 volunteer firefighters traveled to Seattle, Washington, on March 10 to participate in the 2024 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s annual Firefighter Stair Climb.

Firefighters from across the country met in downtown Seattle for the 33rd year to climb the Columbia Center Building, which is the second tallest building west of the Mississippi River and the tallest in Seattle.

Participants suited up in full bunker gear, which weighed almost 50 pounds, and scaled 69 floors (1,356 steps) to reach the top 1,788-foot elevation at the acclaimed Sky View Observatory overlooking the Emerald City. 

Every step forward the firefighters took was representative of moving toward finding a cure for all people battling the terrible diseases. In the 33 years the event has taken place, it has raised more than $25 million.

This year, local climbing members included Kyle Leithead, Scotty Leonhardt, Levi Miller, Cleve Wilson, Jake Bassett, Bryce Dickerson and Shane Pitt, with Wes Wilkerson serving as the bottle changer.

Five of the seven climbers participated last year, and the experience helped prepare them for the challenge this time around.

“We knew what to expect this year, so it was a lot less stressful,” Bassett said. 

“We were able to train a lot better for it this time,” Leonhardt added, noting the stair machines and programs at Club Dauntless. “But that building definitely didn’t get any shorter,” he joked.

The local crew were seven of the almost 2,000 firefighters that completed the climb. Batallions from four different continents were represented.

“It’s such a cool atmosphere,” Leithead said. “Coming together and going through such a physically grueling task for such a meaningful cause is both surreal and humbling.”

Bassett’s son, Kannon, was present during the interview and shared how proud he was of his dad as he watched him cross the finish line on the event’s live-streaming feed online.

“It was fun to get to watch him and me and my mom rooting for him,” Cannon said. “It made me feel proud of him.”

Leonhardt also talked about the importance of pacing themselves throughout the climb and not going out too fast and running out of air.

“We’re wearing our full gear and oxygen tanks,” Leonhardt explained. “That is more different than just breathing normally or having air constantly pumping out for us. We have to suck the air out of the tank to breathe and that adds to the physical challenge.”

Representatives of the local station finished the climb in about 22-23 minutes while the overall average for battalions was 30-35 minutes.

“Last year we were all pretty nervous and overwhelmed, but now we had a good idea of how to pace ourselves and just wanted to just take it all in and appreciate it even more,” Leithead said.

Newcomer to the event Pitt said it was a lot of work getting ready for the climb, but stated how cool the experience was to do it. 

“I wasn’t going for time,” Pitt said. “I was going to prove to myself that I could do it, and I already plan on going again next March now that I have a time to beat.”

“It is eye opening how many people have a story,” fellow climber Wilson said. “Not only those walking for someone or as a survivor, but as we walked up each flight of stairs, there were pictures of survivors, and it gave us the motivation to keep going by seeing the faces that were in need of the funds we were helping raise.”

Every fireman taking part in the event must raise a minimum of $300 to ascend the Columbia Center, which they cover themselves. All other money donated covered traveling costs and went directly to the LLS organization.

“The funds raised help those battling leukemia and lymphoma in various ways, and unless you are in those situations, the expenses patients undergo can be unfathomable-not only for treatments, but for living expenses and other costs directly related to diagnosis,” Wilson said. “Even though it is a global organization, it has directly given back to multiple people and their families in our own community, and we appreciate the local support.”