When is the 2025 Fight for Air Climb at Key Tower in Cleveland?

CLEVELAND — The 2025 Fight for Air Climb will be held this Sunday at Key Tower in Cleveland. Participants will have the opportunity to climb 54 flights of stairs to raise money for the American Lung Association. The funds raised through this event will support education, research and advocacy, with 90 cents of every dollar raised going directly to these efforts.

Solon Fire Inspector Todd Wolf, a long-time participant, shared his enthusiasm for the event. Wolf said he and his fellow firefighters climb wearing their roughly 50 pounds of fire gear.

“It’s tough. The fire gear doesn’t let our body breathe, so you’re sweating inside that stuff with no real way to cool down,” explained Wolf. “It’s definitely great exercise and it’s a great personal challenge.”

For many participants, including the American Lung Association’s Development Manager Catherine Widemire, the climb offers a chance to connect with the cause in a unique and personal way.

“Climbing and doing the Fight for Air Climb is a great way to feel what it feels like to have lung disease because you feel that burn when you’re climbing the stairs,” Widemire explained.

In addition to supporting lung disease research, the event shines a light on the health of first responders and veterans.

“Firefighters and first responders on the job are exposed to a variety of different toxins and chemicals. You never know what they’re going to be going into. So it’s very important that we advocate for their lung health as well and their families,” Widemire added.

Solon Police Detective Linda Castro-Tulevski is also gearing up for the climb this year, though her training has been different from past years.

“I’m actually only seven months postpartum, so, it’s a little different this year than my previous years,” said Castro-Tulevski. “It doesn’t matter the time for me. It’s just being able to get to the top and say I did it.”

For Castro-Tulevski, the climb is deeply personal.

“My dad deals with breathing issues,” she shared. “He lives in Cleveland right next to a factory, and he actually had to move because of it. My grandfather was a fire chief in Cleveland and actually died from cancer. So I just know the effects of lung problems, and this is a great way to support that and to try to get more research involved.”

If you would like to participate, on-site registration will be available on Sunday, March 2. More information is available here: Fight For Air Climb – Cleveland – American Lung Association