Members of the Fall River Fire Department and fifteen participants in the Fall River Fitness Challenge competed in the Fourth Annual Fight for Air stair climb at One Financial Plaza in Providence, RI on February 25, 2012. Hundreds of firefighters and others took part in the event to benefit lung disease and The American Lung Association of New England. Participants were challenged to climb 29 flights of stairs and were timed to see how quickly they could reach the top. "It was another tough event," commented fitness trainer Amy Jones Delgiacco who had to sit out the event because of an injury. Organizers said the strain of climbing the stairs gave those who never have had lung trouble a sense of the difficulty that survivors of lung disease go through. Other Fall River participants included CD-REC director Grace Gerling, Fitness Challenge coordinator Annemarie Sharkey, and John Belcher, who took 2nd place in the 60+ division. The Fall River firefighter team also took first place for the fourth year in a row. Click here for photos of last year's event. (Photos courtesy of Amy Jones)

(Top row, left) The Fall River Fitness Challenge Team, including Lynne Sullivan, Pam Berard, Katie Lavoie, Sarah Javier and Shana Reis, poses for a photo. (Top row, center) Kathy Syde, John Belcher, who took 2nd place in the 60+ division, Jen Preston, Alyssa Holly, Annemarie Sharkey and Grace Gerling line up for a photo. (Top row, right) John and Diane Perry, Jen Preston, Derek Leonard and Grace Gerling pose for a photo before lining up, (Middle row, left) Teams line up for the race in the lobby of One Financial Plaza in downtown Providence. (Middle row, right) Grace Gerling begins her ascent. (Bottom row, left) John and Diane Perry, Jen Preston, Amy Delgiacco, Kathy Syde, Russell Delgiacco, Derek Leonard, Sarah Javier and John Belcher celebrate at McFadden's after the event. (Bottom row, center) Grace Gerling, John Belcher and Amy Delgiacco pose for a photo last year. (Bottom row, right) Member of the Fall River Fire Department celebrate their third first place win in the Fire Fighter Division.