KANSAS CITY, MO (WZMQ) – One hundred and ten stories. That’s how tall the World Trade Center towers stood.
To honor the first responders who worked to rescue people on September 11th, 2001, firefighters in Kansas City climbed 110 flights of stairs.
“It’s unbelievable, what an honor!”
And it’s something firefighter Kevin Sellers says he’d do over and over again.
“Be able to finish what they started, to be able to persevere, even though you’re tired, to remember what they did, how they were tired, and yet they just continued to do what they were called to do,” said Sellers.
On Sunday, firefighters from Kansas City and across the nation, we’re climbing stairs to honor the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives on 911.
“It weighs heavily on our firefighters, who were climbing, obviously, because they know why they’re climbing,” said Kevin Joles of the KC Stair Climb.
“As you’ll see in the stairwell, there are pictures of the Fallen that are hung up on every story so that they have some motivation as they climb,” said Joles.
It’s full gear, 80-plus pounds, and a hot stairway, step after step after step.
“Our motto is never forget, and the only way to never forget is to continue to come back every year,” said Joles.
It’s the 16th year of the climb: 343 Kansas City area firefighters going up 110 floors.
“That was the most intense physical workout I’ve ever experienced,” said Captain David Little of the Lenexa Fire Department.
The challenge is three consecutive times up, climbing 34 floors.
Only then can they ring the bell.
“I mean that they volunteer to do it if there is a cost to it, which is raising money for the spouses and family endowment fund,” said Joles
Family and friends showed up to cheer on the firefighters.
Each firefighter who participated wore the name of one of those who did not make it out of the towers on that day.
