Why I Climb

If you've ever been to or driven through down town Seattle you've seen this great big building known as the Columbia Tower. Fun fact, it is the tallest skyscraper in Seattle

There are 69 flights of stairs, 1311 steps, and 788 feet of vertical elevation and every year crazy folks like myself climb up it for the Big Climb. This will be my second year climbing and although it is extremely difficult, it is nothing like daily fight that blood cancer patients and their families go through. I have lost more than one loved one to cancer and this year my Uncle Richard was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukemia that has forced us all to stare cancer in the face yet again.

I climb for those lost, for those fighting and for those who will some day fight the ugly, nasty and tragic disease that is cancer. I raise money for the climb and every penny that gets donated goes directly to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society which is known as the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. Their mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. Those cancers and this mission is very real to me not only because of my family and friends affected, but also because one day I may be facing lymphoma. I have an autoimmune disease that greatly increases my chances of developing lymphoma, so I climb in hopes that myself and many others can rest assured knowing there's a cure.

The climb is an incredible event that I can't describe. If you haven't done one, I highly recommend you try it. Everyone there is climbing to conquer cancer and there is an energy that's unbelievable. My favorite part of the climb is the faces and names they have in each stairwell to remind you why you're climbing. The faces are of those who have lost the fight and those who won or are still fighting. They push you to keep going, plus the view from the top isn't half bad.

My goal this year is to raise $500.00 and I'm 20% of the way there thanks to a generous donation from my Uncle Richard. Yep, the Uncle Richard above who's currently enduring the fight of his life but still donated to the climb. I encourage you to donate what you can. Even if that means missing your daily coffee or weekly dinner date. No donation is too small, whether it's $5 or $500 it is just as needed and appreciated. Cancer is real, it is scary and it takes far too many lives.

Here's a video to give you a look inside what climbing is like: