On Sunday, a team of 36 off-duty firefighters and staff from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue geared up for the 25th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The event requires participants to wear full firefighter turnouts, boots, and air packs as they race up 69 grueling flights of stairs to reach the finish line on the observation deck of the 788-foot-tall Columbia Center in Seattle. For each of the 1,311 steps they take on their climb for a cure, the team raises donations that will support research and services for blood cancer patients. TVF&R’s team of 36 members joined 1,757 firefighters from 201 departments to complete this physical challenge and fundraiser. As the second largest team to participate in the event, TVF&R’s representatives also posted record times placing 11th overall out of 201 teams with Lt. Geoff Goodman conquering the tower in 13 minutes, 50 seconds followed by firefighter paramedics Grant Slagle and Stephen Lacheney reaching the top in 14 minutes, 52 seconds and 14 minutes, 54 seconds respectively. Volunteering to participate in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb has become a longstanding tradition for Tualatin Valley Firefighters Union Local 1660 members. In the past 16 years, the team has raised more than $315,000 for the fight against blood cancers. So far this year, TVF&R’s team has raised an additional $34,829 through individual and family donations and is on pace to reach a $40,000 team fundraising goal for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Donations will be accepted through March 31. Those who would like to contribute to this worthwhile cause are invited to make a secure, tax-deductible donation on the team’s fundraising page at the link below. Checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society may also be mailed to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue at 11945 SW 70th Ave., Tigard, Oregon 97223.