SALEM, Va. – As a way to honor those who gave their lives 20 years ago on Sep. 11, there will be a Memorial Stair Climb at the Salem Memorial Ballpark this weekend.
On Saturday, Sept. 11, first responders and community members will be climbing 110 stories at the baseball stadium. This is equivalent to the same number of stories of the World Trade Center.
Each climber will also wear a badge of an FDNY firefighter who lost their life on that day, 20 years ago. Once the climb is complete, each person will ring a bell and announce the name of the person they climbed for. This ensures that each of the 343 firefighters is honored.
“The 20th anniversary is obviously very important so that we don’t forget as a society, as a community, one of the greatest acts of heroism in recent history and that there are good people in the world,” Peter Matthiessen, a firefighter with Roanoke Fire and EMS said.
The stair climb will help with funds for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the families of local fallen firefighters and FDNY counseling services.
The Roanoke 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with check-in and registration beginning at 3:30 p.m.