KINGSPORT, TN (WJHL)- Hundreds of people gathered at the Holston Valley Medical Center Saturday morning for the Tri-Cities 9/11 memorial stair climb. The event honors first responders who died saving lives on September 11th. Participants climbed a total of 110 stairs, representing the 110 floors first responders set out to climb to save the lives of those in the World Trade Center.
This year more than 300 people participated, each one wearing the I.D. tag of a police officer or fire fighter killed that day. During the climb, participants listened to the radio traffic from 9/11/01. Andrew Catron, a climb coordinator, said this event allows the community to pay tribute to the first responders killed on September 11th.
“Everybody here has a story of where they were on 9/11,” Catron said. “I was in the 9th grade, I wasn’t in the fire service yet and since I’ve joined the fire service I’ve come to appreciate the sacrifice those gave that day.”
This Tri-Cities 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb benefits the FDNY Counseling Services Unit and the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF) an organization that supports families of fallen firefighters. Organizers said the event raised over $25,000.