Richmond, VA—The second annual "Richmond 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb" was hosted by the City of Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services on Sunday.
Firefighters and others from around the state will climb 22 flights of stairs five times, in honor of the New York City firefighters who climbed the 110-story twin towers.
Ceremonies began at 9:00 AM. Firefighters in full turn-out gear climbed the flights of stairs, carrying gear.
Participants received the photo and badge of one of the fallen firefighters of September 11, 2001. Director of the National Firefighters Foundation Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki said of the event:
"The 9-11 Memorial Stair Climbs area tremendous way to honor those heroes by completing the symbolic climb that they could not finish. These climbs are also a way to le the families know that the legacies of their loved ones are remembered by so many in the fire service."
The registration fee individuals paid to take part in this event is directed to assist the surviving families and coworkers of firefighters killed or who will die as a result of September 11 injuries.
The public was invited to take part in this year's climb and ceremonies; there were 343 participant slots open for the event.
The "Richmond 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb" and others like it around the country were inspired by the first memorial stair climb, which took place in Denver, Colorado in 2005.
Five Colorado firefighters gathered atop a high-rise in the city to climb 110 flights of stairs in memory of the 343 New York firefighters who were active at the Twin Towers on September 11.
Copyright 2012 by Young Broadcasting of Richmond
