By Zoe Mathews
The Eagle-Tribune
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — A team of 10 firefighters from North Andover will don 50 pounds of protective gear each and climb to the top of the one of Boston’s tallest skyscrapers Saturday.
It’s a slightly different race against the clock than they are used to. The team will join others raising awareness about lung diseases through the “Fight for Air Climb” fundraising event put on by the American Lung Association.
For more than a decade, the American Lung Association has organized climbs nationwide and raised more than $40 million to support its efforts to improve lung health through education, advocacy, and research.
This is the first year North Andover fire has pulled together a team for the climb, and as of Thursday they were the top fundraising team for first responders, and third overall for the Boston event, at more than $7,000.
Firefighter Kevin Lundry was going to do it on his own this year, but when he started telling the other firefighters about his plans, they joined in and started a team together.
“I wasn’t really expecting too many guys to sign up when I brought it to the union,” he said. “I know a lot of us are taking it really seriously and working hard to get the donations up ... It’s something we weren’t even going to do, and for our first time doing it, I think it’s a pretty good showing.”
Saturday, firefighters Rob Crane, Matt Davis, Chris Holland, Elizabeth Iminski, Kevin Lundy, Nick Padellaro, Dan Pas, Neil Patnaude, Sean Powers, and Graham Rowe will be climbing the 41 stories of One Boston Place — around 800 steps for an elevation gain of 493 feet.
Firefighters are at higher risk for lung diseases than the general population due to the substances they are exposed to in the line of duty. Some of the firefighters joined for personal reasons, like Lundy, whose father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2007. He died less than a year later.
“He was a big healthy guy his whole life, and that whole last year was watching him struggle to breathe and just to live,” he said. “I was always looking for something to honor him once he passed, and getting into something like this made perfect sense to me.”
They will climb the 82 flights of One Boston Place wearing their full equipment including boots, helmets, oxygen tanks, and masks. The gear will add about 50 pounds to their weight. Some of the firefighters have been training in the gym at the station, using the stair-stepper machine.
“This is a great example of our men and women going beyond the job,” said Fire Chief William McCarthy. “They came together and raised money for a cause, and I’m really proud of them.”
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