Lincoln police and sheriff’s deputies joined firefighters, military personnel and other first responders Friday morning for the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Memorial Stadium. The event marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and was the largest stair climb since the event began.
LPD Public Information Manager Erika Thomas participated alongside members of the department’s fall academy class, which includes LPD and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office recruits and employees. Thomas says the event has grown from a workout for academy recruits into a meaningful way for first responders to honor those who died on 9/11.
“These are the moments that are really bringing our community together and remind you about why it’s so important that we have unity within this country.” The more than 400 participants climbed the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs inside Memorial Stadium, going at their own pace. Some ran, while others took the stairs slowly and methodically.
Thomas says she was the last person to finish, but focused on taking the climb one step at a time. “It wasn’t a matter of how fast you got it done. It was just that you got it done.” She says the experience also served as a reminder that the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center 25 years ago did not know they were experiencing the final moments of their lives.
Thomas says being able to return home after the climb was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made that day. “We all are lucky enough to get to go home to our loved ones because of the sacrifices made on that day.”
Thomas says participants also encouraged each other throughout the climb, with people cheering one another on and chanting “Go Big Red.” She says seeing first responders in uniform and bunker gear, some carrying American flags, made the event especially meaningful.
(Photos: Lincoln Police Department)