Gloucester Daily Times
GLOUCESTER, Mass. Members of the Gloucester Fire Department and Gloucester Firefighters Local 762 will get their steps in during a race up 82 flights of stairs later this month to raise money for the American Lung Association, Fire Chief Eric Smith said.
On Saturday, March 29, nine Gloucester firefighters will be among those who plan to race up the 41 floors and 789 stairs of the One Boston Place skyscraper as part of the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb-Boston.
“I want to give a lot of credit to Gloucester Firefighters Local 762 for once again organizing our members’ participation in this great event,” Smith said. “The union does a lot of great fundraising for fire-related causes and local charities, and we are proud of our firefighters’ commitment to public service.”
The stair-climbing event is a friendly competition between firefighters from various departments who raise a total of at least $100 in pledges each in exchange for running up the steps of One Boston Place in their turnout gear.
The Fire Department is taking part in the Fight for Air Climb to support those with lung disease who have to fight for every breath.
Nearly 39% of people living in the United States live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution. In addition, unhealthy air is an occupational hazard for firefighters, according to the Fight for Air Climb’s website.
All money raised during the climb will go to the American Lung Association to fund research of treatments and cures for those who suffer from lung disease.
Gloucester firefighters have made a tradition of taking part in the climb, participating for about a decade. The stair climb is just one of several fundraisers members participate in during the year.
The Gloucester firefighters and Gloucester Firefighters Local 762 members who plan to take part are Capt. Chad Mota, Capt. Nick Ouellette and Capt. Kevin Gargan , and firefighters Charlie Scola , Jon Sanger , Jack Brancaleone , Clay Whitley , Tyler Philbrook , and Sam LoGrande .
To contribute to the Gloucester Fire Department team, you can search for “Fight for Air Climb — Boston” and click on the link to “Donate.” You can find team members by searching for “Gloucester Fire.” A link to the page can also be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yc22k3hh.
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