Nearly a dozen responders from Vashon’s fire department put their legs to the test and raised money to fight cancer when they climbed the Columbia Tower in Seattle earlier this month.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) sent 11 of its paid staff and volunteers to the March 8 Scott Firefighter Stair Climb, where they climbed 69 flights of stairs in full firefighting gear. The  annual event draws crews from around the state and country, and responders compete to climb as fast as they can and to be ranked as a team. The event is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“It’s the most brutal thing I’ve ever done,” said Josh Munger, a VIFR captain who participated in this year’s event. “It’s tough, but you get through it. … It’s all for a really good cause.”

Munger said VIFR typically sends a group to the event each year, but 11 is its biggest contingent yet.

This year Andy Johnson finished first of the Vashon responders and set a personal best time for the climb. Darren Lenz and Ross Copland took the last step in second and third. Volunteer Mike Kirk, 73, was the oldest of all participants to finish the climb and came in fourth on the Vashon team. Kirk noted that he shaved 10 seconds off his time from last year and said he told the man who placed first in the event, “I’m working to catch up with you and watch out.”

Overall, VIFR placed 42nd of 190 teams and raised nearly $8,000. Donations will be accepted until March 31.