{"id":228363,"date":"2026-04-12T08:08:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T08:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/228363\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T08:08:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T08:08:20","slug":"hundreds-climb-42-floors-in-tampa-fight-for-air-event-raising-over-225k-for-lung-cancer-fight-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/228363\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds climb 42 floors in Tampa \u201cFight for Air” event, raising over $225K for lung cancer fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Brief<\/p>\n

More than 650 people climbed 42 floors at Tampa\u2019s Bank of America Tower for the American Lung Association\u2019s “Fight for Air” event.<\/p>\n

Participants raised over $225,000 to support lung cancer research and awareness.<\/p>\n

Local firefighters joined in full gear, highlighting the physical toll of breathing challenges.<\/p>\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

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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.<\/p>\n

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“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.<\/p>\n

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

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Organizers emphasized that lung disease can affect anyone.<\/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

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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

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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<\/p>\n

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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brief More than 650 people climbed 42 floors at Tampa\u2019s Bank of America Tower for the American…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228364,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[20426,14601,33968,102738,6184,9642,1779,15797,102737,74535,135,137,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-228363","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-air","9":"tag-american-lung-association","10":"tag-bank-of-america","11":"tag-bank-of-america-tower","12":"tag-downtown-tampa","13":"tag-event-organizers","14":"tag-firefighters","15":"tag-lung-cancer","16":"tag-lung-disease","17":"tag-participants","18":"tag-tampa","19":"tag-tampa-headlines","20":"tag-tampa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228363","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=228363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228363\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}