Firefighters step up for charity

Upper Clutha fire brigades felt the heat as they summited the Sky Tower last weekend.

Firefighters from across the country came together for the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge in Auckland, raising money for Kiwis living with blood cancer.

Participants were tasked with climbing the Sky Tower’s 1103 stairs while wearing a full firefighter’s outfit, weighing approximately 25kg.

Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighter Teresa Cotter said it was her fourth time completing the challenge, with competition in the Upper Clutha upping the intensity.

“There was a wee bit of rivalry between the Wānaka and Hāwea Brigade and we tried to make a wee race between us.

‘‘It was competitive, but it was also great being there together supporting each other, because often we’re there supporting each other on the fire ground,” Ms Cotter said.

Wānaka volunteer brigade firefighter Luke Howat said he was “over the moon” to with his performance after coming 12th overall with a time of 11min 32sec.

Mr Howat who had completed the challenge five times previously set a new personal record, beating his previous record by more than two minutes.

“I set a goal of 13 minutes, so I wanted to beat my best and ended up doing that.”

Beyond his performance, Mr Howat described the atmosphere at the event as “absolutely fantastic’’.

Ultimately the challenge is about fundraising, and for Ms Cotter, the cause makes the experience all the more meaningful.

‘‘To me the most rewarding part is acknowledging that while we’re walking up the stairs and it takes 10 to 15 minutes, its nothing compared to having leukaemia and what those people and their families are going through.

‘‘Raising money to help those people is the biggest thing, and it’s very rewarding,” Ms Cotter said.

At time of writing, the 2026 Firefighter Challenge had raised over $2.5m for Blood Cancer NZ. Wānaka Volunteer Fire Brigade has raised $14,734, and Lake Hāwea Volunteer Fire Brigade has raised $7524.