SEATTLE — A new flag flew more than 600 feet above Seattle as the Space Needle and Fred Hutch Cancer Center celebrated a decade of fundraising Thursday.
The flag will return to the spire on September 27th for the annual Base 2 Space event, which raises money for cancer research at Fred Hutch.
The organizations invited top fundraisers to climb the Space Needle’s spire Thursday morning and watch the first-ever Base 2 Space flag raised above the city.
“This type of fundraising just gives those types of dollars that are really very hard to get in other places,” Fred Hutch professor Paul Lampe said.
The spire climb was a first for Lampe. Climbers first ascended to a platform about 570 feet above the ground before making their way to the top of the spire, approximately 605 feet in the air. From the top, participants were treated to sweeping views of downtown Seattle and the surrounding region.
“I didn’t look down until I got up and then looked all around,” Lampe said. He’s done Base 2 Space seven times before and will be taking part again this year.
Participants in the Base 2 Space fundraiser climb 832 stairs to the Space Needle’s famed glass observation deck. No special climbing equipment is required for the event itself.
For Barbara Sauermann, the fundraiser carries a deeply personal connection.
Sauermann has participated in the event for the past two years in honor of her husband, Weir Harmann, the former executive director of Town Hall Seattle.
“He passed away from lung cancer in 2023, so ever since, I’ve been doing the Base 2 Space in order to raise awareness and raise money for cancer research,” Sauermann said.
Amy Cunningham, Director of Public Relations for the Space Needle, said the cause resonates with many participants.
“We all have a loved one that’s either been diagnosed or is a survivor, or we’ve lost a loved one, so it’s a way to give back,” Cunningham said.
She said the stair climb isn’t as difficult as many people think it is.
“I did it last year, and it took me about 15 minutes,” Cunningham said.
More than 1,000 participants are expected to gather for this year’s Base 2 Space at the Space Needle.
To learn more about Base 2 Space or sign up, click here.