The Pella Fire Department received their 1st place trophy as the top fundraising firefighters in the state’s Fight for Air Climb.

They raised over $6700 in April for the American Lung Association in Iowa.

Jeremy Scott participated on the 12-person team that went to Des Moines to climb stairs, and tells KNIA/KRLS News he was happy with how the community came together in support of lung disease survivors, including Fire Chief Doug Van Gorkom’s wife Susan.

“It meant a lot to us, personally for Doug,” Scott says. “The way the community came together and really donated to our goal really just showed a lot that our community just binds together and can really donate to a great cause like this.”

Special Events Coordinator with the American Lung Association Renee Searle presented a trophy to the department, and says Pella was 5th among all teams participating in the Fight for Air Climb.

The Pella Fire Department also had one of their relay teams wearing full fire gear earn a 2nd place finish in the firefighter stair climb challenge.