PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City firefighters set a personal fundraising record over the weekend while competing in the BFit challenge in Boston.
Eleven crew members raised more than $4,500 for the New England Fire Cancer Fund while climbing the stairs of TD Garden in full gear.
Now in its seventh year, the challenge allows first responders, military members, and other community members to participate for the benefit of first-responder charities. It is sponsored by National Grid.
"I'm just really proud of these guys," Chief Thomas Sammons said on Wednesday, adding that his first time doing the challenge was hard but when it was over, he felt amazing.
"It was a lot of camaraderie, a lot of brothers and sisters from the other end of the state that we don't get to see that much," he said. "So it was a successful event."
The Fire Department has competed for three years and this is the most money raised so far. Teams from across the state collectively raised more than $690,000 in the challenge.
"We'd like to get involved in everything in our community that we could support with but this was on a level where we could help benefit our brother and sister firefighters," Lt. Robert Leary explained.
"And everything stayed in the state so even though it's New England firefighters, everything was going to stay local in Massachusetts and stay right here in our home state so that was a great opportunity and a real big thing."
For the course of the challenge, they wore Scott air packs and a helmet. It takes about 23 to 30 minutes.
Leary's wife joined as an honorary member of the team and wore the same equipment.
"Basically, what we're doing is, we go through the concourse of the Boston Garden, so you start at ice level, and you weave your way through the stands and then back up into the concourse level, all the way up to the promenade level," he explained.
"This year, they added the tower climb, which is part of the Verizon tower that's on down there where the executives are so, you go up another six flights of stairs in there, through the executive office, which surprisingly, they have a really good view of the [Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge] down there in Boston, and then you come back down and finish on the main ice level of the TD Garden. The ice is covered up, so it's not quite as slippery as it is normally."
He added that the course probably covers about two and a half miles with the elevation changes.
Firefighter Jamie Law was a first-timer and the fastest on the team. He thought it was a great experience and plans to do it again to raise more money.
"Chief Sammons has made it a priority for us to be fit and good at our job," he said. "So it was just another example for us to have fun and show that off."
Mayor Linda Tyer said this is another fine example of how fit the city's firefighters are and she is very proud of the accomplishment.
"I'm also really proud of them for engaging in this fundraising on behalf of their brothers and sisters across the commonwealth," she added.
"So I'm proud of the fire department every single day but on days like this, especially proud."
Sammons pointed out that firefighters face the most occupational cancer in the workforce and it is important to raise awareness and take care of brothers and sisters.
MyCom Federal Credit Union supported the effort with a generous donation and the Fire Department also sold merchandise and did a boot drive at Dunkin Donuts.
