If the topic that brought them together was grim, participants in Sunday’s Stairclimb for Clean Air were able to keep their spirits high, as almost 500 participants raised nearly $ 250,000 in support of lung health.
Chris Lam, Development Manager for the stairclimb, called it a “great, great year” and “one of the best” of the six he has been involved with it.
Participants climbed 48 stories at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, in one of the tallest staircases it Vancouver. Teen Kelsey MacDonald described the difficulty as “a six or a seven”.
After their climb, participants cooled down with refreshments and entertainment, including an awards ceremony and a boisterous sing-off between groups of B.C. Firefighters.
Despite the lighthearted festivities, attendees remained keenly aware of their reason for attending. Local woman Cathie Clarkson had a uniformed contingent of 20 friends and family members climbing to support her in her ongoing battle with lung cancer. Her youngest supporter was just seven years old.
In the past 10 years, the stairclimb has raised more than $ 1.2 million. Organizers are hopeful that next year’s event will be “just as successful as this one”, said Lam.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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