Miami-Dade Firefighter Stair Climbs with Lung Association to Save Lives on March 2

This Saturday, March 2, Miami-Dade firefighter Lt. Jeanette Harrington will once again don her turnout gear to climb the stairs of loanDepot park to raise awareness and critical funds to end lung disease. Lt. Harrington will be one of the several hundred firefighters and community members participating in the American Lung Association’s 20th annual Fight For Air Climb Miami, presented by Metro-Dade Firefighters IAFF Local 1403.

Lt. Jeanette Harrington began participating in the Lung Association’s signature fundraising event nine years ago when she dedicated her climb to her best friend’s mother, who passed from emphysema. Since then, she has raised a total of nearly $70,000, dedicating each climb in honor of someone close to her who battled lung disease. Lt. Harrington has been recognized as the Lung Association’s top fundraising firefighter in the country.

“We all have people in our lives struggling with lung disease, like lung cancer, COPD, COVID-19 and asthma. I’m not alone. Lung disease doesn’t discriminate,” said Lt. Harrington. “I stair climb to honor those we’ve lost and contribute what I can to the fight against lung disease. It’s a collective effort, and I’m encouraging the South Florida community to join us on Saturday.”

Attendees will recognize Lt. Harrington by her decorated helmet shield, which serves a visual reminder of the person she is climbing for. She began the ritual to honor a firefighting colleague who passed from cancer.

This year, Lt. Harrington is climbing for Guadalupe Samson, who was the mother of her childhood friend, Lisa Samson. Guadalupe passed from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2018. Together, Lt. Harrington and Lisa will climb 1,700 stairs of loanDepot park.

Lt. Harrington added: “It was extremely difficult for Lisa and her family to lose Guadalupe. This year, she was ready to put her grief towards a good cause. I told her, ‘Let’s do this for Mom, together.’”

As part of Metro-Dade Firefighters IAFF Local 1403’s twenty-year partnership with the Fight For Air Climb, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s 14 battalions, personnel at Headquarters and cadets are competing in the “Battle of the Battalions.” The teams have set a total fundraising goal of $20,000 and are inviting the community to join them to support lung health. Here are several ways to get involved:

• Support Metro-Dade Firefighters by joining or donating to one of their teams. Lt. Harrington leads the headquarters team.
• Form a new team, join an existing team or register as an individual climber.

Registration for the Fight For Air Climb Miami is $35 and includes a $100 fundraising minimum. For more information, and to register, visit ClimbMiami.org.

To request an interview with Lt. Harrington, please contact Victoria O’Neill via email at [email protected] or call 312-273-5890.

Thank you to Metro-Dade Firefighters IAFF Local 1403 for serving as the Presenting Sponsor for the Fight For Air Climb Miami. Thank you to our local sponsors, including Memorial Cancer Institute, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Amerant Bank, Florida Power and Light, Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida, Economos Properties, South Florida Council of Firefighters, One Biscayne Tower, Alhambra Orchestra, Gulfstream Park, NSU Florida, Vogelzang Law and North Star Financial Planners. Thank you to our national corporate team partners, Kindred Hospitals and Raymond James.