Dozens of students and community members gathered at Kenan Memorial Stadium Monday morning at 6 a.m. to complete the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Runners bounded up and down the series of staircases for a grand total of 2,076 steps: the same number that first responders climbed as they scaled the Twin Towers.
“Today we remember that fateful day, sixteen years ago, that changed America,” Luke Boehm, Army ROTC battalion commander, said during his speech at the beginning of the event.
The event was hosted by the UNC Army ROTC, but climbers also included students from the Naval and Air Force ROTC, UNC sports teams, local first responders and the Chapel Hill-Durham fitness group F3.
“We’ve been doing this for five years now,” said David Baddour, a member of F3. “It’s a sad day. But we just try to honor the people who went into the building and tried to help out. That’s why we’re here.”
Even for ROTC members and student athletes, the sheer number of stairs makes the climb difficult. Army ROTC student Connor Lewis said his fellow students help him persevere.
“It means a lot to me,” Lewis said. “By following the people in front of me, they’re going to motivate me through.”
Some participants take on extra weight to honor those who fought so bravely to save lives. A few men carried the American flag as they climbed and another held an oxygen tank — Chapel Hill firefighter Scott Caroll, climbed in full uniform.
Chancellor Carol Folt could not fully participate in the climb this year due to a knee injury, but she stood on the football field in support of the climbers. She said she always finds the experience meaningful.
