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Idaho firefighters take on grueling Seattle stair climb: 'It's so amazing to be involved'

Each year, firefighters put on their gear and run up the stairs of Seattle's Columbia Tower, raising millions of dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

SEATTLE - Thousands of firefighters from around the world, including some from Idaho, took on the grueling task of climbing 69 flights of stairs in full gear.

The 27th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb took place Sunday at Columbia Tower - Seattle's tallest building. The event raises millions of dollars every year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Richard Brown, the co-captain of the Boise Fire Department stairclimb team, says in total, all the climbers who participated from at least eight different countries raised around $2 million.

You might think climbing stairs is a pretty easy task, but when you add 50 pounds of gear and nearly 1,400 steps, it's no wonder these firefighters start training months in advance.

Although the process is taxing on the body and mind, Brown says the reason for participating helps him through. He's celebrating his father-in-law, a cancer survivor, and he's also honoring a close friend he lost to blood cancer.

"I think the sacrifice is made on the part of the patient," Brown said. "You start thinking about all the stuff they have to go through. What we do to fundraise and what we do to climb pales in comparison to anything those patients have to do."

In its 27th year, the stairclimb event has raised almost $15 million for LLS and every year they set their sights on a new goal.

"Personally I'm somewhere in the $10,000 raised, so I really find the greatest pride in the fact that I can go out and do something good for other folks," Brown said.

The exact amount of money the teams from Idaho raised is still unknown at this time.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society posted a livestream of firefighters finishing the climb:

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