JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds climbed to the tallest building in Jacksonville Saturday morning during the 16th annual Fight for Air Climb, hosted by the American Lung Association.
“We’re climbing for those who are fighting right now," Jeremy Latraverse, a Kingsland firefighter, said.
Step by step, Latraverse is carrying more than 50 pounds of firefighting equipment to the top floor of the Bank of America Tower. Taped to his air tank, are the faces of those he has lost.
“I lost my grandfather-in-law to lung cancer, my mom has been over 10 years smoke free. A colleague of mine died of lung cancer a couple years ago," Latraverse said.
He is just one of dozens in the crowd impacted by lung disease.
“I’ve lost people to both lung cancer and then this year a close friend to pulmonary hypertension. Her name is Reva," Marilyn Mastin, a member of the team ‘Suck it Up', said.
Mastin lost her leg in an accident years ago, but that hasn’t stopped her from climbing 37 flights, 734 steps to the top. She’s climbing for awareness.
“People aren’t aware of it, and it was very quick. I didn’t even know she was sick honestly, so in her memory, she was a great mahjong player. I’m running," Mastin said.
Organizers say about 450 people participated in the challenge. More than $133,000 was raised for the American Lung Association, money that will help families battling lung disease and go towards finding a cure.
“Really for us what’s important is those who have passed and no longer can climb to fight this horrible disease and that’s why we do what we do," Latraverse said.