Panting climbers ran through the doors, relief in their eyes and sweat on their brows. Applause and cheers rang throughout the room, putting wide smiles on their faces as they entered the Geo-deck of the Reunion Tower. The teenage volunteers’ high spirits only elevated the mood in the room, making the climbers laugh as medals were placed around their necks. With the hardest part behind them, it was time to celebrate their achievement.
This was the exact scene that unfolded at the Fight for Air Climb, an annual event hosted by the American Lung Association at the Reunion Tower. The goal? Climb up the 837 stairs of the tower. This year, they added an exciting challenge: climb up the stairs six times in one hour.
The purpose of this exciting event is to increase awareness about lung cancer and other lung-related diseases, as well as to promote lung health and clean air quality. In total, the American Lung Association was able to raise $87,083, which will support lung disease research, educational programs, and advocacy efforts for lung health across the world.
Among the many volunteers who contributed to the event’s success, my initiative, Love for Lungs, played a small yet meaningful role. As a part of my Girl Scout Gold Award, I started Love for Lungs to raise awareness about respiratory illnesses, educate our community and support initiatives such as the Fight for Air Climb. This event was an incredible opportunity to not only support a meaningful cause but also to connect with the community and experience firsthand the impact of collective effort. Bella Portera, Vice President of Love for Lungs, emphasized the value of such events.
“These events take initiative and help facilitate a broader impact,” she said. “Facilitating that real-world connection really fulfills the mission of the charity, specifically the American Lung Association’s events.”
From decorating the tower to recruiting volunteers, this event took months of preparation from the organization. For me, that meant lots of back-and-forthemails with the ALA team and recruiting volunteers, making sure every girl was registered and had a role. On the day of the event, we helped by cheering the climbers, handing out water, directing participants to the right direction, and providing them with support as they completed their climb.
“We made sure to efficiently coordinate everybody’s schedules and try to give as many details as we could about the event,” Portera said.
The moment we arrived and witness the optimist energy in the room, every effort felt worthwhile. Volunteers of all ages were cheering on the climbers and guiding participants to the right direction. The positive attitudes of both the volunteers and the climbers were infectious.
“The mood was cheery, and the environment was very supportive,” Lucy Pigott, a freshman volunteer from the event, said. “It made me want to volunteer at similar events more.”
This event sparked enthusiasm from the volunteers, many of whom were eager to participate in similar causes again, inspired by the sense of purpose and community they experienced.
“It was very rewarding to see the impact that I had when facilitating this event,” Portera said. “Especially handing out the medals. I got to see their smiles, joy, and hard work, and I got to reward them with that.”
Those tiny moments at the end of the event, such as seeing the climbers’ happiness and pride, brought me back to why I started this club in the first place. Love for Lungs was created to bring community engagement and awareness to lung health, and participating in this event reminded me of the importance of engaging teens in causes that matter.
“It’s really important to expose young people to these health-related causes because it gets them more involved in the community,” Zara Patel said, another freshman volunteer.
“It was really cool that they had an event like this because what drives us further together is that real-world connection,” Portera said.
At the end of the event, we even attempted the climb ourselves. While cheering on the climbers was fulfilling, taking on the 837 steps was a completely different challenge. It was much harder than we expected, but it gave us an even greater appreciation for the climbers and the hard work they put in.
The Fight for Air Climb was not only a volunteer opportunity but a reminder of the power of community and purpose. Being a part of a hands-on event demonstrates how real-world action can unite a community around a common cause. As Love for Lungs continues to grow, I want to highlight how important it is for young people to get involved in our community’s health matters.
Don’t hesitate to take that first step when getting involved in causes you care about. After tackling 837 steps like we did, you’ll realize that even the smallest steps can feel like a huge accomplishment.
