Columbia’s Hearnes Center will be packed with first responders and civilians for Saturday morning’s 10th annual Columbia Memorial Stair Climb.
Columbia memorial stair climb director Ryan Benedict tells 939 the Eagle that the mission of Saturday’s event is to honor those who died during the September 11, 2001 terror attacks:
“Columbia Fire Department is there in big numbers. The Boone County Fire District is there in big numbers. Both the Boone and University ambulance services are there. The (Boone County) sheriff’s office is there. Columbia Police have been there several years,” Mr. Benedict says.
The climb was established to honor the 343 New York firefighters, 70 law enforcement officers and 9 EMS professionals who were killed on 9-11. Saturday’s participants will climb the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center while carrying the name and photo of a fallen first responder.
A familiar name in fire service in mid-Missouri will be the guest speaker at Saturday morning’s stair climb. Columbia memorial stair climb director Benedict tells 939 the Eagle that Boone County Fire Protection District chief Doug Westhoff, who begins his 50th year with the district in July, will be the guest speaker:
“He’s a task force leader, still is … but he was in 2001 and (Columbia-based) Missouri Task Force One was deployed to New York City and he led that team there. Bunch of rescuers from here in Boone County and mid-Missouri that went and participated in those rescue efforts,” Benedict says.
Mr. Benedict says the climb was established to honor the 343 New York firefighters, 70 law enforcement officers and 9 EMS professionals who were killed on 9-11. He also says Saturday’s event will recognize the 13 local first responders who have died in the line of duty over the years. Saturday morning’s opening ceremony at the Hearnes Center begins at 8, with the climb at 8:30.
What’s next: Mr. Benedict tells 939 the Eagle that Saturday’s goal is to have 435 climbers that represent the 343 firefighters, 70 law enforcement officers and 9 EMS professionals who died on 9-11 and the 13 local heroes they remember each year. Anyone interested can register at this link. You don’t have to be a first responder to climb.