San Diego

San Diego Firefighters, Others Climb Stairs to Honor First Responders Killed on 9/11

 San Diego firefighters, military personnel and civilians climbed 110 stairs on Saturday to pay special tribute to first responders killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

"It's surreal,” said Shaun Fick, a firefighter with the Miramar Fire Department, as he headed to climb the stairs. β€œIt's a great feeling being able to do this for those that gave the ultimate sacrifice."

The annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb took place at the Bayfront Hilton on Park Boulevard to raise funds for Firefighter Aid, a local non-profit that raises money for firefighters and their families in times of crisis. This year, their goal was to raise $100,000.

Each climber mounted the stairs with the name of a fallen hero and symbolically completed the journey those heroes were unable to complete. Several climbers chose to make the journey wearing firefighter uniforms and gear to honor the fallen.

Before their journey, participants rang a memorial bell and walked by an actual piece of steel from the twin towers.

The 110 stairs climbed were the same number of stairs in the twin towers. 

The memorial was done in advance of Friday's 14th anniversary of the attacks. 

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