14 Years, 40 Stories and $40,000: Atlanta Man Makes Lung Health His Mission

On Saturday, April 20, Luis Aguilar will once again test his limits and commitment to supporting people who struggle for breath. He will join hundreds of community members, first responders and other lung health advocates to climb 40 floors of Promenade Tower, one of Georgia’s tallest skyscrapers, during the Fight For Air Climb Atlanta. Aguilar, a fourteen-year veteran of the Atlanta Climb, has raised more than $40,000 in total to support the Lung Association’s lifesaving research, programming and advocacy here in Georgia and beyond.

“We often take the ability to draw a breath easily for granted—but each breath is precious,” said Aguilar. “That’s why it is so important to me to raise awareness and impress upon others the urgency of ending lung disease, and to climb for those who can’t.”

Aguilar, a flight attendant, first became involved in the Fight For Air Climb in 2010 after a friend invited him. He was initially drawn in by the physical challenge of climbing more than 40 stories. He then became inspired by the fundraising efforts of his fellow climbers.

“At first, I was just excited for a different way to exercise. However, during the climb, I noticed others were raising money for the American Lung Association and realized I could have been doing the same,” Aguilar recalled. “The next year, I made it a priority to raise as much as I could for the cause.”

Aguilar became the event’s top fundraiser only one year later.

“We are so incredibly grateful for Luis and his commitment to our shared mission of saving lives. Since he began participating in the Fight for Air Climb fourteen years ago, he has raised a staggering $40,000 dollars through grassroots connections,” said Brooke Cowen, development director at the Lung Association in Georgia. “The funds Luis and other climbers raise go directly to our work supporting the more than 1.4 million Georgians live with lung disease. We’re working towards a future free of lung cancer and lung disease together.”

Aguilar is easy to spot on the staircase because he carries a sign with the photos and names of loved ones he’s climbing in memory of. He began the tradition in 2017, to honor his brother-in-law, John, who had passed from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aguilar added: “I love to climb. I climb with love. I climb because I can. And I’m doing it for others who can’t.”

Join Aguilar and hundreds of other lung health advocates from the Atlanta area and beyond at the 18th annual Fight For Air Climb Atlanta on Saturday, April 20 at Promenade Tower in Midtown. Participants can form a new team, join an existing team or register as an individual climber. Registration is $35, with a $100 fundraising minimum. For more information, visit ClimbAtlanta.org.

To request an interview with Luis Aguilar, please contact Victoria O’Neill via email at [email protected] or call 312-273-5890.