On Sunday, March 10, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 22nd annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb will bring together 1,550 firefighters from nearly 300 departments from all over the world to climb Seattle’s Columbia Tower. Four members of the Mercer Island Fire Department will participate.

Dressed in 50 pounds of ‘bunker gear,’ including a helmet, fireproof coat and pants, boots, breathing apparatus and air tanks used to fight fires, the men and women will climb 69 flights of stairs — that’s 788 feet of vertical elevation and 1,311 steps — all to raise a goal of $1.2 million for blood-cancer research and patient services.

To learn more about the stair climb and the fundraising efforts, visit www.bigclimb.org. Donations to the MIFD participants can be dropped off at both Island fire stations.