Red Rocks stair climb honors firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11

MORRISON, Colo. — Hundreds gathered at Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wednesday morning for the 2019 Colorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. 

The annual event honors the 343 FDNY firefighters and almost 3,000 other Americans who died 18 years ago. 

The route starts in the upper south parking lot, ascends to the south ramp, and takes participants around nine counter-clockwise laps in the amphitheatre. It's designed to equate to 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.

Each Sept. 11 at 8:46 a.m., participants gather together at the starting point. That specific time is when the plane hit the north tower in the eastern time zone. There's a brief presentation before the event kicks off at 9:02 a.m., the moment the south tower was hit by a plane.

The Stair Climb benefits the FDNY Counseling Services Unit and the programs provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the families of our nation's fallen.

Last year, about 2,300 people participated. Colorado's Stair Climb is one of more than 40 stair climbs held around the world. 

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