Point Cook first responders will be among those bearing a great weight for good cause in September.
Karthick Thanigaimani, Doris Lang, Daniel Anderson, Hoikee Li and Brett Cryer from Point Cook CFA will participate in the annual Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb on September 6.
Mick Dening, Sajeesh Karuthethil, Alvaro Faba De La Maza, Marlana Betham and Japinder Sandhu from Point Cook SES will help shoulder some of the load.
Emergency services volunteers will hike 28 floors in up to 25kg of turnout gear and breathing apparatus, or similarly weighted operational equipment.
It will serve as a symbol of the burden of significant health and well-being issues faced by first responders and their families on a daily basis.
However, the climbers will be far from alone.
A volunteer force of climb crew helpers and medical support teams will be watching their backs and cheering them on as they make their way up the stairs.
Lieutenant Karthick Thanigaimani, who volunteers with both groups in Point Cook, explained why it is such a great cause to get behind.
“Being a firefighter we encounter some of these kinds of incidents that involve trauma, so that’s definitely one of the reasons it’s close to my heart,” he said.
“I have seen some of my friends encounter some mental health related issues and one of my friends has passed away from cancer.”
All money raised will go towards the $1 Million target to support groups in need, such as Lifeline, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and 000Foundation.
To donate:https://www.firefighterclimb.org.au/
