Valley Firefighters Keep Challenge Trophy
A team of Spokane Valley firefighters successfully defended their championship in a grueling fund-raising event Sunday.
Nine Valley firefighters brought home the first-place trophy from the eighth annual Firefighter Challenge in Seattle, which raises money for the Leukemia Society of America.
The Valley team won first place last year.
Each team member had to race up 69 floors in Seattle’s Columbia Center tower in full firefighting gear.
Five hundred individuals from across the Northwest competed in the event.
Valley firefighter Mark Knokey finished with the best time and set a new course record with 12 minutes and 12 seconds.
Two other Valley firefighters, Bob Leaming and Dan Ward, came in 14th and 20th, respectively.
The Valley team took first place by averaging the time of the three fastest members.
Other team members included Steve Neff, Rob Proctor, Andy Reilly, Hank Williamson, Brian Foster-Dow and Terry Soderberg.
Each member had to climb up 1,311 steps wearing 45 pounds of gear.
The team won first place in last year’s competition, which raised $6,400 for the leukemia society. $7,500 is this year’s target.
Valley team members will be collecting pledges for the society until April 16. Those interested in making contributions can mail pledges of any amount to The Leukemia Stairclimb, c/o Spokane Valley Fire District 1, 10319 E. Sprague, Spokane, WA 99206. Make checks payable to the Leukemia Society of America.
For more information, call Terry Soderberg at 328-3779.
Senior center bazaar, bake sale
The Spokane Valley Senior Citizens Center is holding a bazaar and bake sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today to benefit the center’s bus fund.
The event will feature about 30 area crafters and will include a raffle for prizes.
Valley author and historian Florence Boutwell will be at the center during the sale signing the third volume of her Spokane Valley history series and two of her children’s books,“Teresa of Northwood Prairie” and “Teresa and the Coeur d’Alene Indians.” The center held a fall fund-raiser for a new bus. So far, about $28,000 has been raised, but an additional $10,000 is still needed, said Madeline Luedtke, who chairs the bus committee.
The bus will be used to transport Valley seniors to the center and for weekly excursions, she said.
The event will be held at the senior center at 11423 E. Mission. For more information call the center at 926-1937.