While thousands rushed out of the Twin Towers on 9/11, first responders were bravely going in. In honor of the men and women who gave their lives in the attempt to save those in the buildings, the first responders of Charlotte, North Carolina, banded together for the 5th Annual Charlotte Firefighters 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Over 500 firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers climbed 110 flights of stairs. Each flight represented a floor of the World Trade Center Towers. The first responders took donations for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
WBTV.com reported that each event participant was given a picture of a first responder who gave his or her life on 9/11. Before the event began, the participants rang a bell and spoke the name of the person in their picture. They then pinned the pictures of the fallen heroes to their uniforms to wear during the climb.
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb took place in the Duke Energy Center stairwell and included participants from the surrounding states and some from as far as New York. This year's event even included a participant who was 72 years old.