OCEAN CITY – The 2nd Annual 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, set for Ocean City next weekend, is hoping to double participation this year.
The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, to remember the 343 firefighters who sacrificed their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 and to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF).
The 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, hosted by the Delmarva Emerald Society (DES) will take place at the Pyramid Condominium. Pre-registration is available at the event’s website, www.9-11stairclimb.com, or the day of the event registration will open at 8:30 a.m. with the climb starting at 9 a.m. It is $25 to register and all fees and fundraising will be donated to NFFF.
According to James Jester, president of DES, the event is a tribute to the firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Pyramid is 20 stories high and participants are expected to climb the stories of the building five and half times to equal the height of 110 stories of the World Trade Centers while carrying a badge with a picture of a fallen firefighter with their name and the apparatus or squad they were assigned to that day.
“You carry that with you and that symbolizes that you are finishing the climb for him because he was unable to finish the climb for himself,” Jester said.
The climb is a public event and is open to anyone, including civilians, EMS, firefighters, law enforcement and the military.
Last year’s inaugural event resulted in 83 climbers raising $2,075 for the NFFF.
“That was outstanding for our first time. We are hoping to double that number this year,” Jester said.
The first stair climb held to support the mission of the NFFF was held on Sept. 11, 2005 when five Colorado firefighters convened at a high-rise building in downtown Denver to climb 110 flights of stairs in memory of their FDNY brothers.
The following year, 12 firefighters participated, representing departments from the metro Denver area. Each subsequent year attendance grew until it was capped at 343 participants in 2008.
Since its beginning, the Denver 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb has evolved into a much anticipated annual event and generated interest from individuals across the country who hoped to adapt the format and host an event in their cities.
In 2010, the original Denver team partnered with the NFFF to create a template that would enable a coordinator to successfully replicate a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb anywhere in the U.S.