Hawke's Bay firefighters push themselves to the limit for charity

Napier firefighter Steve Vallance taking part in a treadmill walk to fundraise for today's Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge. Photo/Jonathan Claybourn

Hawke's Bay firefighters will be racing up Auckland's Sky Tower today after raising more than $50,000 for charity.

Teams from Napier, Hastings and Waipawa volunteer fire brigades as well as Tamatea Rural Fire Force will speed up 51 flights of stairs during the annual Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge to raise money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

As of last night, Napier's team had raised more than $25,000, Hastings more than $14,000, Waipawa more than $2000 and Tamatea more than $12,000.

Napier team captain Jonathan Claybourn said his group of eight firefighters had raised an exceptional amount just shy of their best total of $27,000 about three years ago.

"We're really impressed with it."

The money was raised through collection buckets, auctions and treadmill walking with Claybourn raising more than $10,000 individually.

He had never raised that much before and hadn't expected to meet such a high target.

"I was quite chuffed to reach it."

Napier has sent a team for the last ten years with Claybourn going along the previous nine times.

"Over the last 10 years we've raised more than $100,000.

"We're proud of raising what we're raised for the charity."

This year, Napier is sitting at third in the team fundraising rankings nationally.

Claybourn said he was feeling good ahead of the climb but would probably have a few pre-race nerves this morning.

In 2019, to celebrate 10 years and his 50th birthday, the team leader plans to enter the tougher Firefighter of Steel category which has the participant carrying a steel cylinder as opposed to a carbon cylinder.

Hastings team captain Ken Laurie's fundraising efforts have seen him earn nearly $14,000 individually for the charity through a quiz/auction night, a sausage sizzle, collection buckets and asking everyone he knows.

"I've been really blown away with the amount.

"I'm humbled by the generosity of people who have given to the cause."

Nationally Laurie has raised the second highest amount of money for an individual and Napier's Claybourn is sitting at number four.

The Hastings team consists of Laurie and Dominic Coe who have both never taken part in the event before.

"Being in the fire service it gets talked about an awful lot, almost like a rite of passage.

"People tell you to give it a go.

"I'm a multisport fanatic so it seemed like the next logical thing to do."

The event was first held in 2005 and will have 950 firefighters from around New Zealand and overseas compete this year.

Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand is the national charity dedicated to supporting patients and their families living with blood cancers like leukaemia and related blood conditions.