Rising Together: How Base 2 Space Fuels Discovery at Fred Hutch
By Linda Lowry – Social in Seattle
In Seattle, activity often turns into a powerful drive, most clearly seen at Base 2 Space, the annual climb up the Space Needle's 832 open-air steps. Each fall, thousands of Seattle residents put on their shoes and look upwards, preparing to climb one of the city's most iconic buildings in support of one of its most important organizations. The event has now become a key expression of civic pride, a combination of athletic determination, the beauty of the skyline, and a sense of community purpose. Information regarding the climb can be found at Base 2 Space, where both the objective and the meaning of each step are given prominence.
This year the significance of that idea grew. At the Fred Hutch Cancer Center there is now inside the research campus a new set of stairs inspired by the Space Needle, a tangible indication that the journey does not finish at the top of the Needle, since it goes on in the laboratories, the corridors and the collaborative areas where researchers work every day to achieve breakthroughs. The spiral of the stairs mirrors the climb and thus serves as a daily symbol of hope for the scientists who use it and as a tribute to the climbers who enable their work. Further information regarding Fred Hutch's research and its impact is available at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Base 2 Space's fundraising effort has now exceeded $5.8 million and is directly aiding Fred Hutch's world-class research in the areas of cancer, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and infectious diseases. The money raised speeds up clinical trials, extends community cancer prevention initiatives, and helps to strengthen the next generation of scientific discovery. This kind of impact reaches well beyond Seattle, even though it is driven by the people who live in this city.
The climb is still one of the most unique experiences you can have in Seattle. As you ascend the open-air staircases of the Space Needle, you watch Elliott Bay, the downtown area, and Mount Rainier change shape and broaden with each step. When you reach the top, you are welcomed with the revolving glass floor, a finisher medal, and that clear sense of having done something worthwhile for your city. With the new staircase now rising at Fred Hutch, the finish line feels connected to something bigger, a reminder that the climb continues in the hands of the researchers carrying the mission forward.
The business community in Seattle is still heavily involved, raising teams, making matching donations, and having made Base 2 Space a notable annual event. It has become a situation in which corporate culture comes together with community impact, employees climbing not only for fitness or for pleasure but also for the sake of their families, colleagues, and other people who have been affected by cancer.
The new stairway at Fred Hutch is a statement about who Seattle is, a city that innovates, a city that climbs, and a city that looks after one another. When our skyline and our scientific work go in the same direction, we rise together, one step at a time, one breakthrough at a time, towards a healthier future.
