FOUR Wandong CFA firefighters are participating in a gruelling 28-floor stair climb to raise vital funds for cancer research and support crisis.
Robert Boletti, Tom Alderson and Kasey and Jacob Styles will participate in the 12th annual Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb on September 6. This event is to support the $1 million fundraising target for Lifeline, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and the 000 Foundation to improve support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issue.
Firefighters will wear 25 kilograms of turnout gear and breathing apparatus as they ascend the 28 floors of the Crown Metropol. For the four Wandong firefighters, it’s their first time participating in the event.
Mr Styles said the cause was one close to the four participants’ hearts with the event going beyond just a way to raise money for the event.
“It started off as a bit of fun and it’s become something bigger than that,” he said.
“I’m a small business owner and we’ve had our challenges over the last 12 months. Kasey and I have been involved in the brigade as much as we can since we’ve joined, so the climb couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”
In preparation for the climb, the group has planned a “relaxed group training session”, where neighbouring brigades, families and friends are all encouraged to join.
The first of the sessions will be on June 28 from 9:30am at the Wandong Football Oval.
“We know that climbing 28 floors isn’t going to be fun, and it’s probably going to suck, but it’s about sending a bigger message of hitting the stigma on the head,” Mr Styles said.
“We’re inviting fellow brigades and our community to the training sessions to show that it’s about more than raising money and instead creating the awareness.”
Wandong CFA is currently looking for sponsorship support from the community, with donations supporting the team’s participation and going directly to the three organisations.
People can directly donate to Wandong CFA’s fundraising efforts at firefighterclimb.org.au/donations/donate/cfa/wandong or visit their Facebook page Wandong CFA – Stair Climb.
