Climb Boston’s Tallest Buildings for Charity

ClimbAmerica photo provided

With a goal of both promoting heart health and fundraising, Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s ClimbCorps is hosting their third fundraising climb-a-thon event called, ClimbAmerica! on January 26th, where more than 1,000 people plan to climb 38 flights of stairs at Exchange Place, Boston’s 12th tallest building.

In 2012, the Cardiovascular Wellness Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital founded ClimbCorps, a non-profit interested in spreading awareness about heart disease. But the director of the center, Dr. JoAnne Foody, didn’t want just another annual walk-a-thon for research; she wanted an active campaign to educate the city about the importance of exercise in combating heart disease.

This event not only provides a fun stair-climbing race, but it’s designed to showcase one simple way to have a healthier heart (take the stairs) as well as raise funds and awareness for heart disease prevention. “Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in the United States but many Americans are largely unaware of the significant threat that heart disease poses to their health” Foody says. “ClimbAmerica! is a great opportunity to spread awareness for heart disease prevention and raise funds that ultimately save lives through education, programming and research.”

Some climbers will race competitively, while others will use the event simply as a chance to exercise and spend time with friends and family. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by exercising is the key to preventing heart disease, but no one has time to go to the gym all the time, especially with long work weeks. So Foody thought she’d bring the exercise to them.

“We all essentially have built-in health clubs in every building,” Foody says. “You don’t need to pay more for the stairs, you don’t need any other resources. It’s almost too simple, but its remarkable how few people use the stairs.”

 For more information, visit climbamerica.org