Stair climbers do their bit to aid patients' health

The Waipu Fire Brigade will wear photographs of leukaemia sufferers Sandra Bogart and Barclay Morunga pinned on their sleeves as they climb Sky Tower's 1103 stairs.

Part-way through her first week of chemotherapy, Sandra Bogart began to cry as she learned a group of Northland firefighters wanted to dedicate their Sky Tower stair climb to her.

The Waipu resident was diagnosed with leukaemia on April 20. The news spread around the small town like "wildfire", Ms Bogart said.

She has lived in Waipu for 20 years and was touched when the Waipu Fire Brigade sent her the message while she was in Auckland City Hospital last Saturday.

Waipu volunteer firefighter Laura Andrews says dedicating the team's Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge effort to two local people gives them something to climb for.

"I started crying," she said. "It was very sweet and very kind."

The team will join about 750 other firefighters from around the country for the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge this Saturday.

It requires each person to climb the 51 flights - or 1103 steps - while carrying 25kg of firefighting gear.

The event is a fundraiser for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand which last year raised $900,000.

As well as Ms Bogart, the Waipu Fire Brigade will also dedicate their climb to 5-year-old Barclay Morunga, who also suffers from leukaemia.

The firefighters will have photos of Ms Bogart and Barclay pinned to their sleeves as they climb.

Volunteer firefighter and team captain Laura Andrews said this is her third year of taking part in the gruelling challenge, which she described as a humbling experience.

It was important to the team to dedicate the climb to those in the community, Ms Andrews said.

"It gives us something to climb for when it's that much closer to home."

The team managed to raise $18,000 last year and hope to improve on that this year.

"For a small town, the community has really rallied behind us."

Ms Bogart has been an integral part of the community and the fire brigade, for which she has helped raise funds and done media relations, said Ms Andrews.

The team of six firefighters will visit Ms Bogart in Auckland the day before the climb.

"It's just been incredible talking to her and seeing how strong she is considering what she's going through," she said.

Ms Bogart is still waiting on test results to confirm how long she will receive chemotherapy for, However, she said it could be for as long as six months.