Stair Climb honors 20th Anniversary of 9/11

Hundreds of first responders and residents summited Temple High School’s Wildcat Stadium on Saturday, honoring the 20th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. 

As the sun was breaking over the horizon, participants began their trek up and down the steps of the stadium to simulate the 110 stories of the World Trade Center in honor of first responders who lost their lives that day. 

“9/11 is a day that none of us will ever forget. It affected all of us,” Temple Fire & Rescue Chief Mitch Randles said. “It’s a very important day to reflect on what happened and to keep that promise to never forget.” 

More than 300 people participated in the stair climb. Participants lined the sidewalk outside of the stadium before sunrise waiting to get into the event. During the climb, the names of fallen first responders cycled through on the stadium’s video board. 

“The turnout was fantastic,” Randles said. “I could see firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel in their gear, but then just the average citizen mixed in with us.” 

Proceeds from the event will benefit the FDNY Foundation, Tunnel to Towers, and New York City Police Foundation.