Scio Township firefighter climbs stairs for a good cause

Scio Township Fire Investigator Skip Davis took some time out recently to visit Comerica Park, not for a baseball game, but in full firefighting gear and air pack to climb the stairs; all for a good cause.

Davis was part of the Fight For Air Climb Event at Comerica Park, which was held on May 21. This event returned this year to Comerica Park, which is a great spot for it featuring one-of-a-kind views and the best set of stairs this side of Michigan, organizers said.

It’s a great fundraiser to support, Davis said.

This is a yearly fundraiser for the American Lung Association and billed as the premier stair-climbing event in Detroit. The Fight For Air Climb is designed for every type of climber, from beginners to competitive climbers. There is a regular climb category and there is the Firefighter category, where they must climb the steps, totaling roughly 2.3 miles, in full gear and pack.

Because there is only one team competing from Washtenaw County, Davis climbs with three other firefighters from the City of Ypsilanti Fire Department.

Their team of four firefighters finished 36th out of 57 teams. Some teams had up to 20 climbers. There were 336 firefighters in the event.

A unique takeaway from the event saw the Ypsi/Scio team have a distinction that stands for all of the events held around the country, according to Davis, and that is they have the oldest climber in the firefighter division. Davis is 75.

Their team finished 19th out of 44 while Davis placed 260 out of 330 in the firefighter division.