Fourth annual stair climb to honor firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11

Published 10:30 am Thursday, September 8, 2022

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On Saturday, the LaGrange Fire Department will hold its fourth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at 10 a.m. at LaGrange High School sports complex. 

Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. and interested parties can register on the day of the event. The cost for registration and a t-shirt is $25 per person. 

The registration cost will benefit the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a charity that was founded after 9/11 as a way to provide equipment to fire departments who are unable to purchase essential lifesaving gear on their own. 

LaGrange Fire Chief John Brant said during the stair climb participants go up and down 110 flights of stairs, the same amount firefighters climbed trying to save lives on September 11, 2001. 

“The significance going down the 110 flights of stairs is to pay tribute and mourn the loss of life that day that weren’t able to go back down those stairs that day,” Brant said. 

“There were 304 firefighters that died that day and several hundreds that have died due to health issues related from working the rubble of the collapsed buildings in the weeks after that tragedy.” 

The climb started as a private event for firefighters in 2018 but now is open for the general public to participate. 

“Last year, we had a great turnout, and we hope to have a great turnout this Saturday,” Brant said. 

Last year, the climb raised $15,000 for the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, and Brant hopes to keep building on that and hopefully raise more. Brant would love to raise $20,000 this year.

“We’ve grown every year,” he said. “I think that this year will be a better year, and we’ll do good and be able to donate some more.”

Brant said he believes the climb helps the community and firefighters work together as one team. 

“It’s a great event to bring the community and the fire department together working together as a common goal,” Brant said.