Hawke's Bay firefighters climb to new heights for worthy cause
Climbing 51 floors to a height of 328m with 25kg of kit is no easy feat, nor is raising thousands of dollars for charity. But a group of Hawke's Bay firefighters did just that and were recognised for their achievements.
The 2021 Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge, held last month, saw 944 firefighters from around the country, and overseas raise $1,375,224 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.
The final tally beats the previous record of $1.3m in 2019 and takes the total raised as part of the challenge in the past 17 years to more than $10m.
The 'Napier Spitfires' placed third in the team fundraising category, with a total of $25,291, Heretaunga Rural Fire Brigade volunteer firefighter Kevin Hodges had the highest average raised per climb and Hastings Fire Brigade firefighter Rebecca Wright was the second-fastest female overall with a time of 13.43.
The Hastings Brigade presented this year's recipients for the community spirit award their Taiaha, an award they received last year.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Hawke's Bay Area Commander Ken Cooper said he is proud of what the region's firefighters did and the significant amount of money they raised for charity.
"It's quite a significant physical challenge and they do a huge amount of fundraising off their own back but most firefighters have a personal story behind why they do it.
He says it builds their philosophy of comradeship. "A lot of bonds have been built over the number of years they have taken part." But it also promotes a lot of friendly rivalry between the firefighters and stations. "So it is a bit of fun, but certainly the seriousness behind it is raising money for the charity which is just fantastic.
Napier volunteer firefighter Brad Edwards, part of the Napier Spitfires, said it is hard to put into words why they do it, but put simply it is the "right thing to do".
"It's another way that we can give back to our community."
Their total is a far cry from the $500 they raised in 2008. Now, they are consistently raising well over $20,000. While they raise the money, he says they couldn't do anything without the members of the community who donated.
They held a charity auction dinner where local businesses donated goods and services.
Edwards, who has been a volunteer firefighter for the past 12 years, and it is the third time year he has taken part in the challenge. Last year, he was the top fundraiser in New Zealand.
For Wright, it is not the first time she has placed, having won twice before in 2011 and 2017 when she was a firefighter in Auckland, and come second and third previously. "It was my second fastest time, which is a surprise because my fastest time I did 10 years ago so it's been a while, but I was pretty happy to still be competitive."
While she didn't have the high-rise buildings in Auckland to use as her training ground, she spent hours on end at the gym or walking up Bluff Hill or Te Mata Peak.
But Wright says the race is secondary to the main goal of raising money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.
"I like the team atmosphere that we have as we get right in behind the charity and fundraising."
