Ordinary men and women doing Extraordinary feats!
How will you remember the fallen? How will we honor their memory? We will Never forget, we will climb because they climbed.
Why we climb?
The 9-11 Memorial Stair Climbs are not timed race events, but a way for firefighters and the community to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live. Each participant pays tribute to a FDNY firefighter by climbing or walking the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Your individual tribute not only remembers the sacrifice of an FDNY brother, but symbolically completes their heroic journey to save others. Through firefighter and community participation we can ensure that each of the 343 firefighters is honored and that the world knows that we will never forget. The proceeds of these events help the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation create and maintain programs that support fire service survivors. Your support of the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb events provides assistance to the surviving families and co-workers of the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.
History of the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb
The first stair climb held to support the mission of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation was held on September 11, 2005. when five Colorado firefighters convened at a high-rise building in downtown Denver to climb 110 flights of stairs in memory of their FDNY brothers who were killed in the terrorist attacks of 9-11. The following year, twelve firefighters participated, representing four fire departments from the metro Denver area. Each subsequent years, attendance grew, until it was capped at 343 participants in 2008.
Since its beginning, the Denver 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb has evolved into a much anticipated annual event, and generated interest from individuals across the country who hoped to adapt the format and host an event in their cities. In 2010, the original Denver team partnered with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to create a template that would enable coordinators to successfully replicate a 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb anywhere in the United States.
Meet the Coordinators
I’m Adam Neff and I am the Coordinator for the Springfield Area Memorial Stair Climb. I have been in the fire service for 24 years and with the assistance of some very dedicated people and the blessing from my wife we started the Springfield Area Memorial Stair Climb. This will be our sixth year and I believe that with your continued support this year will be our best year yet.
I have participated in the Springfield Area Memorial Stair Climb for the past six years. I climb to honor and remember the 343 heroes that selflessly gave their lives on September 11, 2001. I am honored to work with so many generous partners in our community. I look forward to building relationships and meeting new potential partners in the future to ensure we will Never Forget!
Jennifer was asked to help with the climb by Athena, who works closely with the Nixa area Firefighters. After 911, Jennifer had a very dear friend pass away in Afghanistan, soon after he joined the Army because of 911. Being able to help with such an amazing cause is very humbling and is just a small way of showing appreciation for those who lost their lives. Jennifer has assisted with the Stair Climb since 2013.
In my nearly 30 years in the fire service, I have served as a volunteer and career firefighter and now as the Training and Safety Chief for Branson Fire Rescue. Additionally, I am a part of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as the Region 7 Advocate Coordinator for the Everyone Goes Home program. The EGH program is partially funded through events such as stair climbs and I appreciate all of your support. I climb in memory of the 343 firefighters lost on 9/11 in addition to helping fund the efforts of the NFFF. See you on September 22!
This is my 5th year with the Stair Climb. I have worked side by side with many Missouri districts and departments to enhance their benefit packages over the last 20 years and have gotten to know many people who were forever changed by the events of 9/11. I started as a climber, then a volunteer and now I am happy to take on the challenges of registration. Taking part in the climb is my way of saying THANK YOU to all the first responders who put their lives on the line for us every day.
