{"id":227958,"date":"2026-04-11T22:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T22:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/227958\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T22:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T22:02:08","slug":"hundreds-climb-42-floors-in-tampa-fight-for-air-event-raising-over-225k-for-lung-cancer-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/227958\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds climb 42 floors in Tampa \u201cFight for Air” event, raising over $225K for lung cancer fight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TAMPA, Fla. – Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, with a new diagnosis every two minutes. In Tampa<\/a>, hundreds literally took that fight to new heights, stepping up to raise money and awareness for those battling the disease.<\/p>\n

What we know:<\/p>\n

More than 650 participants took part in the American Lung Association\u2019s annual “Fight for Air” climb at the Bank of America Tower in downtown Tampa.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Climbers tackled 42 floors and 914 stairs, pushing themselves physically while raising more than $225,000 for lung cancer research, education, and advocacy.<\/p>\n

Among those participating were local first responders, including firefighters who climbed in full gear, adding more than 80 pounds to the already grueling challenge.<\/p>\n

What they’re saying:<\/p>\n

Participants say the climb is about more than just the physical test, it\u2019s about honoring those impacted by lung disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

“Every step is another gasp for breath and you think of those who can\u2019t do it,” said Joe Mannino, a participant.<\/p>\n

For Mannino, the mission is deeply personal. He shared how losing his father to lung cancer continues to motivate him to return year after year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0“In a way I feel like I\u2019m carrying him on my shoulders, and that feels special,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Organizers emphasized that lung disease can affect anyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Everybody has lungs. Anybody can get this. It doesn\u2019t matter your age…it doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019ve ever smoked,” said event sponsor Brandie Lake.<\/p>\n

Local perspective:<\/p>\n

Firefighters from eight local departments participated, including an all-women\u2019s team from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Climbing in full gear made the challenge even more intense, simulating real-life conditions they face on the job.<\/p>\n

Despite the difficulty, many say they train for months and look forward to the event each year, not just for the cause, but for the camaraderie among departments.<\/p>\n

Why you should care:<\/p>\n

For the 2.8 million Floridians living with lung disease, breathing isn\u2019t something they can take for granted.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Events like “Fight for Air” help fund critical research while also shining a light on the realities patients face every day.<\/p>\n

What’s next:<\/p>\n

Organizers plan to continue the annual climb, with hopes of growing participation and fundraising totals in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

This year, Pasco Fire Rescue was recognized as the top fundraising team, taking home the event trophy.<\/p>\n

The Source: This article is based on on-site reporting from the American Lung Association\u2019s “Fight for Air” climb in downtown Tampa, including interviews with participants, firefighters, and event organizers, as well as event data provided by organizers.<\/p>\n

Hillsborough County<\/a>Health<\/a>Tampa<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla. – Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, with a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[47,571,629,115,135,137,136,628],"class_list":["post-227958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-fl","tag-health","tag-hillsborough","tag-news","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}