Stair climb honors the fallen of 9/11 attacks

Firefighter walking up Kenan Flagler steps while holding American flag. — Participants climbed 2,071 stairs, representing the 110 floors of the World Trade Center tower. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Sydney Brewer was born after Sept. 11, 2001, but the impact of that day is something she has felt for almost her entire life.

Brewer, now a senior student with Carolina’s ROTC program, grew up in New York and saw firsthand how the terrorist attacks affected so many. That was on her mind Thursday at Carolina’s annual 9/11 Memorial Climb, an event that honors the victims of the attacks.

“Seeing this event come together, to have a community remember and do something for those people, means a lot to me,” Brewer said, “because I can’t be back home with my community.”

Twenty-four years ago, members of the extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Another struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. And the fourth plane, Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control.

The 12th annual climb was held at Kenan Stadium and invited attendees to climb 2,071 stairs, representing the 110 floors of the World Trade Center tower, to honor the 2,977 victims of the attacks.

Carolina students, faculty and joined local firefighters, police officers and other first responders in making the climb. Carolina student-athletes joined, as did cadets from Carolina’s Army, Navy, Marine and Space Force ROTC units and students from Duke University.

The event began with opening remarks from Carolina ROTC cadet Delaney Arendt and a rendition of the national anthem by Brewer.

Lisa Klekowski, professor of military science and chair of the ROTC department, took the stage next, thanking the Carolina community for its continued support of the stair climb and reminding attendees to never forget the lives lost on 9/11.

“I would like us to celebrate heroism, grace and valor displayed on 9/11,” Klekowski said. “As you climb these stairs, keep the memory of those heroes in your hearts.”

Klekowski then introduced guest speaker Col. Roger Waleski, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command at Fort Bragg. He reminded attendees to embrace the discomfort that would inevitably come with climbing the 2,071 stairs.

Roger Waleski speaks to attendees of the 9/11 Memorial Climb.

“Today’s climb should not be easy,” Col. Roger Waleski said. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

“Today’s climb should not be easy,” Waleski said. “It should hurt. You should embrace not only physical pain, but also the sorrow that comes with reflection. Think about those who we lost — the people stranded in the towers, the first responders who made a final attempt and the family members who lost their loved ones.”

Soon after, attendees were instructed to meet on the stadium field and, at the sound of a bullhorn, they began to make their climb.

As a soundtrack that included musical artists from AC/DC to Miley Cyrus played over the speakers, the participants cheered each other on and fist-bumped one another, no matter how sweaty or exhausted they might have been.

“For me, it really puts things into perspective,” said Carrboro police chief Chris Atack, who participated in the climb. “What we’re doing here is nothing compared to what people went through that day.”