Two thousand and seventy-one.
That’s the number of stairs each of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers had, and that’s how many concrete stairs hundreds of people climbed in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Thursday morning to honor the lives lost during the Sept.11, 2001, terrorist attacks when the towers fell.
The climbers included first responders and community members from across North Central Florida, along with UF students, fraternities and organizations who helped organize the event with Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR).
Many firefighters took each step wearing their moisture-resistant gear, which can add an additional 70 pounds to the 14 flights up and down The Swamp.
Other climbers carried American flags and other symbols of remembrance, with some being careful not to lose count of steps and others doing extra laps or push-ups in between flights.
The pounding of feet and radio static grew quiet at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. for moments of silence marking the moments when American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the towers.
Thursday’s event united multiple generations, with some able to remember exactly where they were 24 years ago on the day, and others not born yet. But every climber carried the call to honor and never forget the nearly 3,000 lives lost.
“It’s just important to do something to try to help remember the people you weren’t able to be there for,” said 21-year-old ACFR firefighter Garyn Brinkley. “It was before my time, but I can get out here and put in a little bit of effort to help remember.”
Stair-climbing events to honor fallen first responders are a tradition across the country.
According to the Association of Memorial Stair Climbs, the first “9/11 Memorial Stair Climb” occurred on Sept. 11, 2003, in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, when Albuquerque Fire Department’s Lt. Charles Cogburn climbed a two-story building 55 times during a deployment.
ACFR Chief Harold Theus said his department had already been participating in a stair climb for a few years when the UF Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) reached out in 2017, looking to participate.
Since most of the people he hires now weren’t born when 9/11 happened, Theus said ACFR is especially intentional to remember it every year. He said last night, a lieutenant took time to show his crew documentaries on the attacks to help them understand what the day means.
Theus said the event allows him and his team to reflect on the purpose of their job, which can get lost in daily operations, and remember the self-sacrifice they’re called to.
“It puts everything into focus of the why behind why we do what we do,” he said. “It always kind of brings you back to allow the gravity of the job and the sacrifice that the 343 made [sink in].”
Maloy Williamson climbed the stairs with Sirius, her 6-year-old German Shepherd, who has participated in the stair climb for five years. Even though she’s not a first responder, Williamson said the climb allows her to honor her family members and all others who have served as first responders and in the military.
“I think it’s just a good way for people to come out, exercise, show respect for what happened and show that America’s not dead,” she said.
