Brad Edwards' close bond formed in firefighting became a catalyst for community fundraising. He will once again be taking on the Sky Tower challenge in Auckland in May. Video / Warren Buckland
A Hawke’s Bay volunteer firefighter is consistently one of the biggest fundraisers for the fire service’s annual Sky Tower challenge. Warren Buckland asks what makes him tick.
When you move to a new town making friends is not easy, but Brad Edwards has found a surefire way to speed upthe process.
A recent move from Levin to Dannevirke to work on a dairy farm meant looking for a new way to make friends. Edwards approached his local volunteer fire brigade and soon had what he refers to as another family.
The close bond formed in firefighting became a catalyst for community fundraising and Edwards joined up with Dannevirke and many other volunteer firefighters around the country raising money for Leukemia and Blood Cancer.
They do it each year now through the famous annual Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge, which takes place in May.
The event allows fire station teams and individuals to climb the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere - 51 flights of stairs, 1103 steps.
Brad Edwards received a photo in early December of a boy he'd raised money for looking happy, healthy and leukaemia free. Photo / Warren Buckland
Edwards loves the exhausting slog. Firefighters carry 25 kilograms of equipment, breathing recycled air through a closed circuit mask covering the face, sweating in heavy fire retardant clothing.
But it’s the funds he raises that are the biggest joy.
One year Edwards was the top fundraiser in the country. This year he’s tracking well again. On Thursday Edwards was sitting at number two in New Zealand for funds raised, already over $11,000 by himself.
A couple of years ago Edwards fundraised for a boy called Liem. He had leukaemia and was in a pretty bad way.
Edwards said he’d received a photo in an email from Liem’s dad earlier in December. Liem’s hair had grown back, he was smiling and looking happy and leukaemia free.
“I will keep fundraising until I can’t climb up the stairs anymore but even then I will probably still fundraise.
“I know it makes a difference and that’s why I do it.”
Raising funds sometimes isn’t an easy decision.
Brad Edwards is sitting second in NZ for most money raised towards the SkyTower challenge. Photo / Warren Buckland
Edwards works six days on and two days off and says in the summer months it’s a really hard choice.
Fishing or fundraising. He looks out the window, checks the weather and then decides. Bad weather – fundraising. Good weather and it could mean fresh fish for dinner.
