Hundreds 'Fight for Air' as they climb floors of Philadelphia high-rise

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More than 600 people took part in the American Lung Association's Fight For Air Climb on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Now in its 16th year, the event includes a climb up 50 floors at Three Logan Square in Center City.

To help inspire participants, David Skalski of Lancaster was there.

He received a life-saving lung transplant, and three years later he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Along the way, he honored a request from the mother of his organ donor, John Tuzak, a 26-year-old from Chicago.

"She says, 'I don't know if you know, but we had John cremated, and we do have some of those ashes left over. Would you be willing to carry them to the top of the mountain?" Skalski said.

Skalski says he was blown away by the request, and brought some of Tuzak's ashes with him on his climb.