Northland firefighters prepare for Sky Tower Challenge

Glenn Orford, left, and Jono Geraghty are among dozens of Northland firefighters taking part in the annual Sky Tower Challenge. Photo / Supplied

Climbing up and down Whangārei's Mt Parihaka is the ideal training springboard for volunteer firefighter Glenn Orford who's preparing for the upcoming Sky Tower Challenge to raise money for a worthy cause.

Orford will be among dozens of Northland firefighters who will climb 1103 steps, 51 flights of stairs up 328 metres laden with 25kg of firefighting kits for the challenge on August 20.

Money raised will go to the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) — a national charity dedicated to supporting patients and their families.

For Orford, this will be his fourth Sky Tower Challenge and the Maungaturoto firefighter had the third-fastest time of 12 minutes and three seconds in the male Donned and Started Grand Masters division last year.

Fellow Maungaturoto firefighter Jono Geraghty will join him for the challenge.

"I am lucky I am still able to do a bit of training at work and a lot by climbing up Parihaka when I am in Whangārei. It's all for a good cause. Leukaemia and blood cancer affects people of all ages, from babies to adults," he said.

The 51-year-old climbed the Sky Tower stairs as a 9/11 memorial before deciding to join the challenge.

He, Geraghty and other volunteer firefighters raised $875 during a sausage sizzle outside the Maungaturoto Four Square on August 5.

He said it was double what they raised during last year's sausage sizzle and thanked the community for supporting such a worthy cause.

Every day, seven children and adults in New Zealand are diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

In the 18 years, the Sky Tower event has been running, firefighters from around the country have raised more than $10 million to support patients and their families living with blood cancers and related blood conditions.

The Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ had raised $752,453 by mid-afternoon yesterday.