By Bruce Rolfe
When Kady Allen and her friend approached the half way mark of the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Wings Event Center September 11, Kady’s friend asked her what time it was. Allen looked at her watch and surprisingly, it was 9:11.
What wasn’t surprising is why Allen, along with approximately 80 firefighters, first responders and civilians, participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Two hijacked airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center towers, one hijacked plane flew into the Pentagon and another hijacked plane flew into a field in Pennsylvania, killing 2996 innocent people, including 343 Fire Department of New York firefighters that dark day in American history.
Many that showed up on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, had participated in previous Memorial Stair Climbs. Others embarked in their first climb. Some participants weren’t even born when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred.
But every participant was there for a reason.
“To support America, for all of the fallen, firefighters, and all of the military veterans, who sacrificed their lives,” said Allen who participated in her third 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
When Kady Allen and her friend approached the half way mark of the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Wings Event Center September 11, Kady’s friend asked her what time it was. Allen looked at her watch and surprisingly, it was 9:11.
What wasn’t surprising is why Allen, along with approximately 80 firefighters, first responders and civilians, participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Two hijacked airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center towers, one hijacked plane flew into the Pentagon and another hijacked plane flew into a field in Pennsylvania, killing 2996 innocent people, including 343 Fire Department of New York firefighters that dark day in American history.
Many that showed up on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, had participated in previous Memorial Stair Climbs. Others embarked in their first climb. Some participants weren’t even born when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred.
But every participant was there for a reason.
“To support America, for all of the fallen, firefighters, and all of the military veterans, who sacrificed their lives,” said Allen who participated in her third 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Allen, a 2006 graduate of C-S High School, feels it is important that younger people today learn about the tragic event.
“I heard that almost half the population now was not born or was very, very young when 9-11 happened. So, I think it’s very important. I feel like we need to get more exposure to this, what Wings Event Center does and what the firefighters in the area do. And they do this every year. I think it’s really important to get more people involved in doing this to support,” said Allen.
“I heard that almost half the population now was not born or was very, very young when 9-11 happened. So, I think it’s very important. I feel like we need to get more exposure to this, what Wings Event Center does and what the firefighters in the area do. And they do this every year. I think it’s really important to get more people involved in doing this to support,” said Allen.
Devin Dipzinski, a member of the Pennfield Township Fire Department, said he was inspired to participate in his first 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to honor the men and women first responders who lost their lives on 9/11.
“And I wanted to represent my department, Pennfield Township and honor the men and women. I know what they went through was a million times harder then what we did today. But trying to get that idea of putting myself in that situation I will remember,” said Dipzinski, who attended C-S Community Schools, but also G-A High School and was a 2012 graduate of Portage Northern High School.
Dipzinski said he was attending Scotts Elementary School when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened. He recalled his mother was upset when he returned home from school. His father was driving a truck at the time and out of state, creating some levels of concern.
“I just remember over the next couple of days at school, it was kind of a gray shadow over everybody when we saw what happened on TV,” said Dipzinski.
Comstock Township Assistant Fire Chief Mike Meulman, who said he has participated in nine or ten 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs, said he does a lot of thinking and reflecting when he participates in the 9/11 Memorial Stair climb.
“There’s a lot of lows and highs. The emotions are up and down the whole time. You get excited for the climb, you get into the climb, you get tired. And you think about what these guys went through that day. They knew what they were going into. At least here, when I climb this, I know I’m done and I can go home and everything. Where those guys were, they were climbing to, I don’t know what’s going to happen, I might not make it back. But they still did it,” said Meulman, who has been a firefighter nearly 11 years.
After four years when many firefighters and civilians participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Vicksburg High School, the event returned to the Wings Event Center for the first time since 2021.
The 9/11 Stair Climb participants climbed up and down the steps at Wings Stadium twice, equalling the approximate number of stairs it would take to reach the 78th floor of one of the World Trade Center Towers, the furthest recorded level firefighters reached in their attempt to help people in the World Trade Center Towers.
Firefighters and citizens participating in the stair climb wore one or multiple name tags containing the picture and name of a FDNY firefighter who was killed that day.
Part way through the stair climb each participant stopped and read the name of the FDNY firefighter on the name tag they carried and rang a bell three times.
Meulman remembers he was a sophomore in high school when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened. He said the tragedy inspired him to be a firefighter, especially after watching how firefighters worked together.
“Seeing all those guys work together, how it brought the country together, all those things. I feel like right now we’re all so divided and this is a day where we should all come together, remember everybody that sacrificed that day, all the people that lost their lives. It was a dark day in American history. They say September 11th was one of the worst days, but September 12th was probably one of the best days,” said Meulman.
Jacob Hess, a firefighter on the Comstock Township Fire Department, said the stair climb was difficult but worth it.
Hess, who wasn’t born when the 9/11 attacks occurred, said he decided to participate in his first 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, “to help other people my age remember what happened even though they weren’t around during that time.”
The 9/11 Stair Climb participants climbed up and down the steps at Wings Stadium twice, equalling the approximate number of stairs it would take to reach the 78th floor of one of the World Trade Center Towers, the furthest recorded level firefighters reached in their attempt to help people in the World Trade Center Towers.
Firefighters and citizens participating in the stair climb wore one or multiple name tags containing the picture and name of a FDNY firefighter who was killed that day.
Part way through the stair climb each participant stopped and read the name of the FDNY firefighter on the name tag they carried and rang a bell three times.
Meulman remembers he was a sophomore in high school when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened. He said the tragedy inspired him to be a firefighter, especially after watching how firefighters worked together.
“Seeing all those guys work together, how it brought the country together, all those things. I feel like right now we’re all so divided and this is a day where we should all come together, remember everybody that sacrificed that day, all the people that lost their lives. It was a dark day in American history. They say September 11th was one of the worst days, but September 12th was probably one of the best days,” said Meulman.
Jacob Hess, a firefighter on the Comstock Township Fire Department, said the stair climb was difficult but worth it.
Hess, who wasn’t born when the 9/11 attacks occurred, said he decided to participate in his first 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, “to help other people my age remember what happened even though they weren’t around during that time.”
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