PGFD 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K @GaylordNational @NFFF_News @STATter911 @hhowardWTOP pic.twitter.com/ral4ue7e1d
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) September 12, 2015
WASHINGTON — Local emergency responders honored the firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11 with a memorial stair climb that simulated the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.
“It’s 11 stories. We’ll make that trip 10 times,” says James McClellan, deputy fire chief with Prince George’s County Fire and EMS.
On Saturday morning, the fifth annual Prince George’s County 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Walk brought in firefighters from around the region, as well as police and civilians. Prince George’s County fire department sponsored the event.
The event was held at Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor. Organizers estimated that 500 people signed up, with others registering the morning of the event. The yearly stair climb is held as a fundraiser. McClellan says organizers hoped to raise $40,000 for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial this year.
But it the event was also about never forgetting. Each climber wore a badge with the picture and name of one of the 343 New York firefighters who was killed on Sept. 11.
“Good luck everybody,” the climbers heard before taking that first step. Some firefighters were wearing their full, turn-out gear.
Jim Thorpe, a firefighter from Charles County, Maryland, says he did the climb in memory of the 343 fallen firefighters and in memory of his sister-in-law, who was killed by a drunk driver. Thorpe and his sister-in-law, who also is a firefighter, did the climb last year. They had promised to do it again this year.
“I’m finishing it for the 343 and for my sister-in-law,” Jim Thorpe says.
Jessica Shirinian did the challenge for the first time. Her boyfriend is in the Prince George’s County fire academy and she’s also from New York City.
“Gosh there’s so much emotion especially being from New York City,” she says. “Knowing how many people dedicated their lives. All those people who did everything they could knowing that they probably wouldn’t come back. That they probably weren’t gonna come back but they forged ahead to save as many as they could. So it means a lot. It’s a great way to remember the people and honor them.”
