Think the stair master is hard work?
How about running up 739 steps or 48 floors in one of Vancouver’s tallest staircases?
Well that’s exactly what runners did downtown today.
Hundreds of people prepped their lungs for a steep climb today at the Sheraton Wall Centre and they were doing it not just to support the Lung Association, but to honour and remember loved ones who fought against lung diseases like cancer.
That’s why Sherry Whitter is taking part in memory of her grandma Dora Ducharme.
“She never smoked a day in her life, she was very health, walked the malls, did the senior citizens stuff, and then started getting a gurgling in her chest,” says Sherry Whitter.
“She went to the doctor and they found out she had lung cancer.”
1 in 5 British Columbians have a lung disease, whether it be asthma, sleep apnea, or cancer.
Lung disease is the fastest growing cause of death and disability in Canada.
According to the Lung Association it’s also the least funded.
That’s why the annual Climb the Wall fundraiser is so important.
“It attracts an audience that the association is really trying to make part of their family,” says Chris Lam of the BC Lung Association.
“We are hoping to raise 220,000 this weekend alone.”
Almost 100 firefighters also took part. They’re hoping to raise awareness about the importance of clean air for healthy lungs.
“We are very in tune with our own safety, which our number #1 priority. Most of the danger is the smoldering and smoke,” says firefighter Daryl Ducharme.
Participants endured a hot muggy climb, tackling 739 stairs to try and get an idea of what living with a lung disease is like.
In the end their efforts will send hundreds of thousands of dollars towards lung disease research and awareness.
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