Members of the Kirkland Fire Department stood along Lake Street and Central Ave raising money for the 26th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb event on Jan. 28. Kirkland firefighters collected more than $5,000 in their fundraising efforts thanks to community donations.

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb is an event to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Firefighters from different departments, states, and countries come together to climb 69 flights of stairs in full firefighting gear and to climb to the top of the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle.

The Kirkland Fire Department has participated in this event for more than five years, and will have 16 members on the Stairclimb team this year. Last year $2.3 million dollars was raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Kirkland Fire Department Stairclimb team hopes to raise $20,000 for the event this year which takes place on March 12.

Kirkland firefighters will continue their fundraising efforts with two upcoming fundraising events. Firefighters will have a donation table set up at the Kirkland Fred Meyer on Feb. 4, and they are hosting a Cruise Against Cancer, which is open to everyone, on Feb. 25.

To obtain tickets for the cruise, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2800747.

To donate directly to the Kirkland Fire Department stair-climb team, visit http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/FirefighterStairclimb?team_id=65766&pg=team&fr_id=1552