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Gear up for a day of activity, connection and remembrance.
Almost 24 years ago, Brooklyn firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller was headed to the golf course following a shift with Squad 1. But when his scanner announced a plane had hit the North Tower, those plans were pushed aside. Upon reaching the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Siller found it blocked off, so he strapped on his gear and ran on foot to the World Trade Center—where he gave his life to save others.
Over two decades later, his legacy is carried on by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, an organization supporting America’s heroes and keeping 9/11 remembrance alive. This year, the org partnered with local event Raleigh Tower Climb uplifting the same mission.
Started by Raleigh fitness coach Ian Butler five years ago, the climb blends movement with remembrance, challenging participants to climb 110 flights of stairs in honor of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.
The Tower Climb wasn’t always this big—in its first few years, the “tower” was a Downtown parking deck and the climbers a small circle of friends, vets and first responders. It leveled up—straight into 150 Fayetteville, one of Raleigh’s tallest buildings—when Butler connected with Tunnel to Towers ahead of its fourth year.
The visibility the partnership created was “wild,” reminisces Butler. Over 50 people attended—plus two fire departments that did the climb post-shift in full gear. And beyond the climb, many used the day to swap stories and pay their respects.
Participating teacher “had her second grade students write 20 thank-you letters to firefighters and police officers to hand out that day,” recalls Butler. “So that was really, like, ‘Wow, this thing could be way bigger than I imagined.’”
Even if climbing isn’t your forte, Butler ushers you to jump in and join anyway. “Don’t get caught up in the fitness or the athletic part of this,” he emphasizes. “The biggest part is the experience, the people, the stories that you’re going to hear, and the energy you’re going to get from it.” Ready to take on the tower? Sept. 13; 150 Fayetteville St.; climbraleigh.t2t.org
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