Tunnel to Towers event invites Triangle residents to climb, volunteer and remember those lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
This September marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a downtown Raleigh event will give Triangle residents a way to honor the first responders who ran toward danger that morning.
The Tunnel to Towers Raleigh 9/11 Tower Climb returns Saturday, Sept. 12, at 150 Fayetteville Street. Beginning at 8 a.m., participants will climb the equivalent of 110 stories in honor of the 343 FDNY firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.
Local first responders are expected to take part, including members of the Durham Highway Fire Department, which will have a fire truck on site. Some firefighters will tackle the climb in full gear, offering a visual reminder of the physical demands faced by those who responded on 9/11.
The event is not limited to climbers. Organizers are inviting the community to volunteer, donate, or come downtown to cheer on participants and first responders as they make their way through the challenge.
The Raleigh climb is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s national Run, Walk & Climb Series, created in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller. After learning that a plane had struck the World Trade Center, Siller returned to his firehouse, gathered his gear and headed toward lower Manhattan.
When traffic was blocked at the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Siller continued on foot, carrying about 60 pounds of equipment as he made his way toward the towers. He died while helping others that day, and his family later created the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in his honor.
Today, the foundation supports catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, Gold Star families and families of fallen first responders. Its annual runs, walks and tower climbs are held across the country as a way to honor those who served and sacrificed.
Over its first 25 years, Tunnel to Towers says it has delivered more than 2,000 mortgage-free homes and committed more than $1 billion to support veterans, first responders and the families they leave behind.
This year’s Raleigh event carries added significance because of the 25th anniversary. An entire generation has grown up without firsthand memories of Sept. 11, making events like the Tower Climb both a memorial and an opportunity to keep the stories of that day alive.
Participants can register to climb, volunteer or donate through the Raleigh event website. Whether someone takes on all 110 stories or simply shows up to support those who do, organizers say the goal is the same: climb, honor and remember.
