9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Toyota Field to remember first responders in World Trade Center

MADISON – At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, five hijackers diverted American Airlines Flight 11 to downtown New York City and crashed into the northern face of the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

That terrible day saw massive loss of life, both civilian and for first responders. In Madison, the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Toyota Field will remember NYC firefighters who entered the doomed skyscrapers.

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks, the memorial climb in Madison will be held on Sept. 11, 2026, at Toyota Field. Together, people will climb the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center by repeated paces on the stairs of the baseball stadium.

Madison Fire Chief Brandy Williams said the climb “is an important reminder to us so we can pause and reflect on the day that our brothers and sisters responded to this call not knowing a large number of them would not come home. This event is an important part of our history, and we never want to forget their sacrifice.”

“Climbing 110 flights of stairs is not something that we are exposed to in this area, but our firefighters are in good physical condition. Many of our firefighters travel to participate in annual stair climbs in larger cities around us such as Nashville,” Williams said.

Gates at Toyota Field will open at 8 a.m. A memorial ceremony to remember the people who were killed on Sept. 11 will start at 8:30 a.m. After the ceremony, the climb will follow on the stadium stairs.

This event is free to the public to join in the climb or attend as a supporter.

The Trash Pandas staff realized the potential at Toyota Field as a space for a memorial stair climb. The team then partnered with Madison Fire & Rescue and Madison City Police Department.

Madison firefighters can claim a personal connection with the reclamation and cleanup effort after 9/11. In 2001, a group from Madison Fire and Rescue Department travelled to New York City. Madison firefighters — the late Wayne Kamus, the late Adam Vaughn, Jim Cooke, Jason Fox, Clayton Jordan, Trey Street and Steve Wilkerson – reported to work with the Empire State Building detail shortly after 9/11.

Cities across the country host similar memorial services in which participants climb the equivalent of the 110 stories. Some stair climbs limit participants to 343, the number of firefighters who died that day.

Both the Trash Pandas and Madison Fire & Rescue Department want to see a large turnout for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

Also on Sept. 11, 2001, five other hijackers flew United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower, five hijackers crashed American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Va. Four hijackers were thwarted by passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Penn.

For more information, visit trashpandasbaseball. com.