Two Riverina firefighters have been praised after they took on the annual challenge for charity.

Aaron Hoad and Chris Evans tackled the Firies Climb for MND – Motor Neurone Disease – on Saturday, alongside almost 600 firefighters from across the country and New Zealand. 

Mr Evans said he had known victims of the progressive, terminal neurological disease and had been inspired to jump on board the annual event, raising money to help develop an effective treatment and find a cure.

“It’s good cause,” Mr Evans said. “A professor at the event referred to it as a bastard disease.”

Donning their full kit, including equipment weighing more than 20 kilograms, the pair from Griffith flew up the 98 storeys of Sydney Tower Eye. 

Following the challenge, the retained firefighters, from Fire and Rescue NSW Station 311, said they were sore, but happy.

“Most choose to take the elevator down at the end, but it was really crowded, so we walked back down too,” Mr Evans said. “That made it pretty special.” 

Raising $4000 locally, the pair’s efforts added to an event total of more than $680,000.