On March 7, seventeen firefighters from Marysville raced up 69 floors of the Columbia Center in Seattle to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in a testament to their fallen comrade, Jeff Thornton.

The annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb attracts firefighters from all over the world as they climb 1,311 steps in full bunker gear and breathing apparatus that weighs over 50 pounds.

Again this year, the Marysville team will be climbing in honor of Jeff Thornton, a fellow firefighter who lost his battle with cancer on September 11, 2001. Thornton was one of a handful of firefighters who participated in the very first stair climb in Seattle. It started out as a friendly invitation by a fellow firefighter from Shoreline and has grown into an annual event that is attended by more than 1,500 firefighters from all over the globe.

The Firefighter Climb raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as well as for the honorees selected by the teams. Marysville's team of seventeen includes firefighters Keoni Brown (team leader), Mike Aquino, Cal Droke, Grant Elsworth, Andrew Facchini, Brien Gronemyer, Chad Hale, Ryan Hardwick, Michael Lewis (shown in photo), Bob Magee, Brendan Magee, Chris Mullen, Ronnie Morton, David Neyens, Jason Schoonover, Ryan Swobody, and Shane Thomas.

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