Thank you to everyone who donated to Team Ezra! We are very honored to announce that the first place for team fundraising went to Team Ezra and the first place for individual fundraising went to Ryan. We were so pleased to be able to raise so much money in Ezra's name, it was truly an honor and a gave us a real feeling of accomplishment.
Thank you to everyone who climbed the Columbia Tower with us. Our team was 58 members strong and had participants from far off places like Chicago, Park City, and Washougal and many from our very own hometown of Seattle. Our team members did an incredible job fundraising. I know that hardly anyone likes fundraising, but everyone got in the spirit and got behind our goal which was to raise as much money as possible to fight blood cancers in honor of Ezra. Thank you.
In addition, we had so many donations coming in from far and wide from people who could not climb with us, we appreciate every single donation, regardless of the amount, every dollar helped us reach our goal. Huge thank you!
During February and March, Team Ezra made it into the top 10 fundraising teams and we saw our team climb from team #10 to team #4. And then in the last few weeks, we jumped from team #4 to team #1, with the results not being released until last Thursday night. We were surprised and happy to hear that we had made it to the #1 spot. Incredible. Last year we raised just over $10,000. This year, over $56,000. I got to say a few words at the awards event, which combined top racers and top fundraisers from both the firefighters climb and the non firefighters climb. I thanked the LLS for sponsoring the event which gave us the opportunity to raise funds in Ezra's name, funds that will go directly to helping fight the disease that took his life. I said it was sort of like letting me write in huge letters across the sky "Ezra was here!' That his life mattered. That he made a difference in the world. That he made the world a better place when he lived and that he continues to do so through ways we honor his life today."
Other Big Climb numbers... Last year the 2 Big Climbs raised $1.3 million, this year they raised $1.6 million (23% increase). 1st place fundraising: Team Ezra $56,796. 2nd place: Team Lisa A $50,530. 3rd place: Climbing for Caleb $33,789.
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