Firefighters climb stairs for a cause

By Cheryl Hehl, Staff Writer
SUMMIT — Anyone can climb stairs, but two Summit firefighters recently went beyond the call of duty to help a worthy cause.
How fast can someone climb 69 stories? Well, if you are Summit career Firefighter Michael Mammone, 26, and volunteer Firefighter Matt Klapper, 27, you can do it pretty darn fast. In fact, Mammone sprinted up those 69 stories wearing his full fighter gear in 19 minutes flat, while Klapper followed close behind in just 22 minutes.
The firefighters participated along with 1,500 other firefighters from across the United States in the 19th annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb on March 7 in Seattle, Wash. But the stair climb was only a portion of what they accomplished.
Prior to leaving for Seattle, Mammone and Klapper raised more than $12,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a cause that is especially close to Klapper’s heart. A close friend of his, Seun Adebiyi, was diagnosed with two aggressive forms of blood cancer, which made his participation even more important.
After all was said and done, Klapper was the top individual fundraiser of the 1,500 firefighters registered for the race. As a result, he received a ski trip to Canada, which he plans to donate to his friend, Adeyibi.
Mammone, a firefighter for more than four years, said that, although the main reason he wanted to do the stair climb was to help out a worthy cause, he had to admit the competitive factor also played a part.

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