If the idea of climbing 41 floors at 801 Grand was too daunting for you, the 2011 Fight for Air stair climb may be more manageable.

On March 27, the American Lung Association will hold its eighth annual signature fund-raising event. Rather than at 801 Grand, however, the climb will be held at three other downtown high-rises: the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, the EMC Insurance Building and the Hub Tower. Participants can choose to climb one or all of the buildings, which are 29, 18 and 17 floors, respectively.

“We’re noticing that we’re getting people who may not have participated in the past,” said Micki Sandquist, the Lung Association’s executive director for Iowa. “We’re working very closely with wellness programs of various companies to get employees involved.”

EMC Insurance Cos., which has made the climb part of its wellness program, has set a goal to recruit at least 100 employees for its team this year to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary. Participants must gather a minimum of $100 per team in pledges.

Last year 950 stair climbers raised more than $186,000 for the association, which this year hopes to raise at least $200,000 from the event. The registration deadline is March 20.

The American Lung Association focuses on reducing tobacco usage as well as providing programs to assist the estimated 360,000 Iowans suffering from lung diseases, including asthma, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Among new programs this year is a Respiratory Rally planned for May, featuring quality-of-life workshops for lung disease patients and their caregivers. Other programs offered include home assessments for children with asthma, health-care worker training in asthma awareness, a smoke-free worksite program and tobacco-cessation classes.

The venue for this year’s stair-climb event changed because the organization could no longer get public access above 801 Grand’s third floor, Sandquist said. Though about 50 American Lung Association organizations host fund-raising climbs, the Des Moines event will be one of just three multi-building climbs nationwide, she said.