Eleven Manteca firefighters are tackling 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps and ascending 1,788 vertical feet on Sunday.

And they will be doing so in full turnout gear wearing over 60 pounds while on an air supply.

The Manteca contingent is part of the 32nd annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stair Climb taking place at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle in the State of Washington.

The building is the second tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River.

The Manteca team consists of Travis Gooch, Ryan Avant, Pat Burns, Wesley Chamberlain, Michael Horabuena, Brett Jones, Chase Keener, Brian Macias, Sterrie McLeod, Austin Rioux, and Franco Torrice.

The Manteca team this year has raised $18,240 so far. Since its inception, the event has raised over $24 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year’s event has raised $1.6 million to date.

The funds go to blood cancer research and patient services.

The LLS Firefighter Stair Clin will involve 2,000 participants who are either career, volunteer or retired freighters.

It is the world’s largest on-air stair climb competition.

The top time in 2022 to complete the challenge was 10:53. That was turned in by Steve Potratz-Lee of the Pullman Fire Department who finished 33 second ahead of his nearest competitor.

This year the climb is in honor of Malachi Cota and in memory of Firefighter Lt. Luis “Louie” Batayola.

Cota happens to be a 9-year-old Modesto fourth grader.

At the age of 6, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL).    

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com