"Just keep breathing" is the motto for those who have Cystic Fibrosis.

"We always say we will keep fighting until CF stands for 'cure found,' " said Kyle Palumbo.

An event called the CF Climb is raising funds for the Northeastern New York Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the hopes to further funding of resources and research for the rare disease.

"We're celebrating 36 years of the stair climb. What a wonderful event to watch. The first responders, all the firefighters, the police organizations and many individuals in the community that just want the honor of running 809 steps. But at the same time, they're raising funds to cure cystic fibrosis. It's just fantastic," said Karen Carpenter, chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Northeastern N.Y. Chapter.

The CF Climb is a unique fitness test. Participants are climbing 42 flights in the tallest building in Albany, the Corning Tower. For many, the climb is a test of endurance and timing, and also a great opportunity to learn more about this disease while gaining insight about how it feels.

"The wonderful thing about the climb and the challenging thing is that you get out of breath, you know how you're struggling to breathe. Your throat hurts, your lungs hurt, and that gives you a little bit of insight into what it might be like moment to moment with this with this disease. So, it's humbling," said Michelle Martinez, a participant.  

With more than 100 climbers total, participants included first responders, adults and kids. The annual event raised $30,000.

For more information, visit cff.org.