Hawke's Bay firefighters near the top of Sky Tower challenge fundraisers

Jonathan Claybourn from Napier tackles the Sky Tower Stair Challenge. PHOTO / PHILLIP KITE.

Just a day after taking on 51 flights of stairs during the gruelling annual Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge to raise money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, Napier and Hasting firefighters were called back to action yesterday, but not before raising more than $50,000.

Firefighters from Napier, Hastings and Tamatea all took part in the annual challenge at Auckland's Sky Tower.

The eight-member Napier Sky Tower Challenge team took out the (fundraising) team award in the medium team category, after raising $25,453.

Team captain Jonathan Claybourn said the team raised the money through bucket-fundraising at supermarkets, live and online auctions, as well as donations from local businesses.

"It was good, just as hard as it was last year. We got all eight of our team up there. We did quite well and we're very proud we managed to raise so much."

Claybourn offered "a huge thank you" from everyone involved to the people who donated.

He added he was happy with his sub 15-minute effort and was not feeling any ill effects.

"It's a quick recovery, it's just hard yakka getting up there."

That was just as well, because he was called back into action to fight a fire at Bluff Hill yesterday afternoon.

Claybourn also took fourth-place in the individual fundraising section ($10,269).

Hastings' Ken Laurie ended up second overall in individual fundraising, raising $14,000.

The Tamatea rural fire force team raised another $12,707.

The event was first held in 2005 and this year 950 firefighters from around New Zealand and overseas competed.

Hastings' Dominic Coe recorded the fastest time of Hawke's Bay-based firefighters with a time of 12.33 minutes, finishing in 36th place overall, in his first attempt.

Former Hastings volunteer firefighter Helen Jones, now working in Wellington, was the fourth fastest woman in 14.49 minutes.

Mt Wellington team member Josh Harrison recorded the fastest time of all competitors - just 8.11 minutes.

Overall, the event, now in its 14th year, raised more than $1 million for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, which is the national charity dedicated to supporting patients and their families living with blood cancers like leukaemia and related blood conditions.