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LOVELL — On Feb . 4 Steve and Evan Armington will be making the 3.5-hour drive to One Boston Place, where the American Lung Association’s Boston Fight For Air Climb is taking place and for which the team has become the event’s first place fundraiser.
Despite the distance, the father-son duo decided to take on the challenge as representatives from the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department, which they both serve, motivated by competition, community and their aunt, Jennifer Blood, also of Lovell.
Evan, Steve’s 20-year-old son and fellow firefighter and climber, said, “We love these types of challenges, but we were also really inspired by our Aunt Jennifer, who is currently fighting lung cancer. We want her to know that she isn’t fighting alone, and that we are going to help the Lung Association end lung cancer for good.”
The team, consisting of Steve, Evan and their assistant chief, Mark Moulton, also gets support from fundraiser and coach Beth Armington, Steve’s wife. As owner of the local ice cream shop, “The Homestead Scoop,” now turned team headquarters, Beth has channeled support from all over the community, raising nearly $2,000 with months of work still to go.
The Boston Fight For Air Climb, presented by Boston Private, is one a series of signature fundraising events of the American Lung Association held in prominent skyscrapers across the country. The Boston Fight for Air Climb will take place on Feb. 4 at One Boston Place, where participants will race up 82 flights of stairs.
The event also includes a Firefighter Challenge, where members of more than 100 fire departments, including the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department Team, will race up the stairs in full firefighting gear, weighing nearly 50 pounds. The Boston Climb aims to raise $500,000 for the Lung Association’s mission to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research.
On days away from the ice cream shop, Beth has been accompanying Steve on regular climbs of Sabattus Mountain. He makes the 1.4-mile trek in full turn-out gear, weighing nearly 50 pounds, to prepare for the Firefighter Challenge, as she climbs alongside him, urging him forward.
“We were motivated by our fellow firefighters, and we are extremely grateful to our community, which has been incredibly supportive,” Steve said. “When we are on a call, we experience the ‘Fight for Air’ firsthand. This is a great opportunity to show others what daily life is like for millions with lung disease, and why it’s so important to support the Lung Association in all they do to protect our lung health.”
The Lovell Fire Department Team will continue to train and fundraise through the Feb. 4 event. You can make a donation to support their team at action.lung.org/goto/LVFD.
