Gulf Shores Fire Rescue to Host 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb for 25th Anniversary

Gulf Shores Fire Rescue is inviting the public to take part in its annual 9/11 Memorial and Stair Climb, an event that carries added significance this year as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Update: Gulf Shores Fire Rescue has released the full schedule for this year’s event, set for Sunday, September 13, beginning at 8 a.m. The morning will open with a memorial gathering at West Gulf Place on the Town Green, where Army Colonel Michael Payne will serve as the keynote speaker. The stair climb itself will follow at 9 a.m. at Phoenix Gulf Shores, located at 801 West Beach Blvd.

The free event is open to participants of all ages and fitness levels, and no special gear is required. Gulf Shores Fire Rescue is urging community members to attend in order to honor the memory of those lost in the attacks and to pay tribute to the first responders who serve their communities every day.

Participation remains free, but anyone who donates $25 or more will receive an event t-shirt. Registration is available online, and residents with questions can contact Tammy Burkhart with the city for additional information.

This year’s stair climb marks the 25th time Gulf Shores first responders have sponsored the event, which honors all first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Remembering Sept. 11

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, including 343 New York City firefighters who died responding to the World Trade Center.

Memorial stair climbs held around the country each September commonly have participants climb the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center’s twin towers, in tribute to those firefighters.