Nightcaps — population 310 — is leading the South’s effort to fundraise for Blood Cancer New Zealand, by almost blitzing its $5000 goal months ahead of the May 23 event.
Nightcaps Volunteer Brigade chief Conrad Waihape credited the large fundraising total to a successful raffle which sold tickets nationwide.
As the Nightcaps VFB, alongside the Ohai VFB chief, embark on their training this week, Nightcaps residents can expect to see Shane Robertson, Simon Greer, Ben Hunt, Cameron Hogg, Frank van Miltenburg, Milton Helman and Mr Waihape doing the hard yards to ready themselves for the slog ahead.
The event, in its 22nd year, was the brainchild of Tony Scott, who has been a firefighter both in Northland and at Auckland Airport since 1988.
The inaugural 328m Sky Tower Challenge event raised $17,500, but has grown to consistently raise more than $1.5 million each year for blood cancer patients and their families.
Mr Waihape said the cool night air was the best for running in full kit.
"We’ve got this big hill in Nightcaps. It’s actually quite steep. If you can go up and down eight times, you’ve done the height of the Sky Tower.
"And I tell you what, when you get to the third [time], you know you’ve done it and then you go, I’ve still got another five to go."
"Last year was the first time I’ve done the Sky Tower, and I was like, Oh my God, why am I doing this again?
"You know you’ve done it by the end of it. It’s insane. It doesn’t stop. The tower just keeps (going)."
Firefighters helping and encouraging one another up the 1103 stairs has stuck in his memory from last year’s challenge.
"After about 20 flights, you ask yourself: why I am I doing this?
"Then they say ‘come on, this is my corner to go into fetal position — keep going, we’ve got to share these corners. When you get to the top, then you can die slowly’."
He was reminded that while the challenge was a real gut-buster, people diagnosed with leukemia faced a much bigger challenge, which motivated the firefighters, he said
"Our challenge only lasts 20 minutes to get to the top ... theirs is for a long, long time."
