Participants Gear Up For Annual Center City Fundraiser Climb
By Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The 9th Annual Philadelphia Fight for Air Climb is right around the corner, and on Wednesday night climbers got to do a practice run of the Center City skyscraper they'll be taking on in late March.
There are 1,088 steps from the ground to the top of 3 Logan Square, and by conquering each one, climbers help improve lung health.
"It's a fundraising and awareness event for the American Lung Association," explains Jessica Gehman, whose mother died a little more than two years ago of lung cancer.
She says she makes every step count:
"It gave myself my friends and family a way to raise money and raise awareness in memory of my mom."
Jessica and her husband, Kevin, have participated in the climb for the last three years:
"For me it's inspiring," Kevin says. "It shows that people want to find a cure for not just lung cancer, but for all lung diseases."
You can do 50 flights of stairs, or the century which is 100 flights. That's running up and down the building twice.
"It's a really good feeling to be able to do something positive, not only for myself personally, but for the community," says Jessica.
The trek takes the average climber around 15 minutes.
"As a competitor it always makes me want to go harder faster stronger," Kevin says. "I always want to be the number one person up there, but at the end of the day, it's not about competition, it's about trying to save as many lives as we can."
For more information on the Fight for Air Climb, CLICK HERE.
