Te Awamutu firefighters building for Sky Tower Challenge

Te Awamutu Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge team at last year's event. Photo / Supplied

The Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge, now in its 19th consecutive year, is a fun and challenging fundraising event for firefighters to raise money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade has a long history with the event, competing since the inaugural challenge in 2005.

This year, on May 20, a team of 22 Te Awamutu Volunteer Firefighters will be racing up Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower’s 51 floors, or 1103 steps, wearing full firefighting kit including breathing apparatus - all weighing in at 25kg.

The annual event is delivered jointly by Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand and FireUp Events, which is an organisation operated independently by members of the New Zealand firefighter community, solely focused on raising funds for nominated charities like LBC.

By 2022, over $12 million has been raised for blood cancer patients and their families.

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

LBC is the national charity dedicated to supporting patients and their families, this support can last months or even years. LBC receives very little government funding.

Each year Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade are proud to compete and fundraise in the event.

Firefighters are sponsored and supported by friends, family, and their local community.

Over the next couple of months, you will see the team out in the community raising money and awareness for LBC.

Donations are appreciated and welcomed. Anyone keen to support LBC can visit firefighterschallenge.org.nz and search for the ‘Te Awamutu Volunteer Brigade’ Team Page to donate.

Alternatively, Te Awamutu firefighters would love to see you at community fundraising events.

For 2023 these get under way this Saturday from 9am-1pm at Mitre 10 Mega with a sausage sizzle and firefighter car wash, plus the opportunity to meet the team and see the fire trucks.

The team says the day wouldn’t be possible without the support of hosts Daniel and Nikki Fitzgerald and the team from Te Awamutu Mitre 10 Mega, Te Awamutu Pak’nSave for the generous donation of food for the barbecue and Kelly and Bjorn Bennetto of Ōtorohanga Butchery & Homekill Service for the generous supply of sausages.

On Sunday, April 23 and Saturday, May 13 firefighters will be outside Te Awamutu Pak’nSave with collection buckets collecting donations and giving the public a chance to meet the team.

To find out more about the event and Team Te Awamutu visit firefighterschallenge.org.nz/ and firefighterschallenge.org.nz/t/teawamutuvolunteerfirebrigadeteam.