TAMPA, Fla. — The American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb brought hundreds of people together on Saturday at downtown Tampa's Bank of America Plaza to raise money and awareness for those who have a lung disease.
In the midst of music, excitement, and celebration, there were moments of reflection for people like Eddie Fisher.
“In 2014, my dad passed away of COPD. I made this my mission," Fisher told ABC Action News.
Fisher, chairman of both the Orlando and Southeast board of directors for the American Lung Association, said most of the $150k+ raised during the event will go to research that can save lives.
When asked what his father would think of the event and all of the work he's done, Fisher teared up and looked up.
"That’s what it’s all about. Forty-two floors. I’ll talk to Daddy on the way up," he said.
The 42-story Bank of America skyscraper inspired people to share their own stories.
“There’s 600 stories here. These people aren’t here just to climb. They’re here for a reason," Fisher said.
Carrie Deaner's reason — her father. He died of lung cancer.
Deaner is a survivor herself, and climbed with a group of Powerhouse Gym Trinity members, whom she coaches.
“A lot of us have been touched by this. Mostly family members and friends have passed, or are fighting the disease, and we wanted to bring awareness and we wanted to challenge ourselves," Deaner said.
Troy Alston, a competitive, record-setting stair climber who reached the top in 4 minutes 51 seconds, said that's what this is all about.
"Pushing your limits," Alston said. "You see people come from all different walks of life and there’s people here who climb with one lung, so if they can get off the couch and just climb... just push their limits? Anybody can do it. I think it’s very inspiring.”
Related: Troy Alston's 2023 Fight for Air Climb
Firefighters from across the Tampa Bay area also joined the climb in full gear.
“The more you practice, the better you’re going to be at your job, so I want to be able to last as long as I can on my air bottle so I can help as many people as I can," Chris Koberna, with Oldsmar Fire Rescue, told ABC Action News.
Visit the American Lung Association's website to learn more about how you can get involved and help.
