Organizers of a memorial fundraiser have added a way for participants to honor 9/11 firefighters, step by step.
Participants in the Springfield Area Memorial Stair Climb can either climb the bleacher stairs at Plaster Stadium or walk the field. Either way, those participants can pay tribute to the 343 firefighters who ascended 110 stories in the World Trade Center, losing their lives while rescuing others.
Registration opened July 1 for the upcoming event, set for Sept. 30 at Plaster Stadium, on the campus of Missouri State University.
Walking was a way that the effort could be marked virtually during pandemic years, said Julie Mercer, marketing coordinator for the climb.
“Climbing stairs or bleachers can be intimidating, and some can’t because of health issues,” Mercer said. “This year, if people would like to come to MSU and walk the field, like some have asked to do, they can.”
During the event, each participant is given a badge number for one of the New York City Fire Department firefighters who sacrificed their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 in response to terrorists flying planes into the Twin Towers. That firefighter is “carried” by the participant.
Walkers will mark off about 2,300 steps, the equivalent of about 110 stories. The stair climbers will also tick off 2,300 steps, but only the ascending ones — “Because they didn’t make it down, we’ll carry them the rest of the way,” Mercer said.
Nationwide memorial
The stair climbing memorial got its start on Sept. 11, 2005, in Denver, where five firefighters met at a downtown high-rise to re-create the ascent.
The next year, 12 more representing four fire departments from Denver’s metro area showed up. Attendance skyrocketed each year; organizers capped participation at 343 in 2008.
In 2010, those organizers partnered with the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation to help other areas replicate their own climbs and raise money.
This will be the 11th year for the Springfield area’s climb — last year more than $40,000 was raised. Mercer said the money goes to the foundation for benefitting the families of fallen firefighters and for the FDNY Counseling Services Unit.
Participation is open to anyone, Mercer said. Teams are welcome, and there are options for participants to raise money through their climb.
Registration costs $35 and comes with a packet that includes an event T-shirt.
