Overview
- At the University of Illinois, participants started before dawn and climbed 1,980 steps to mirror the World Trade Center ascent, joined by ROTC cadets, students, Illini athletics staff, and local firefighters.
- Autzen Stadium in Eugene hosted its 3rd annual climb with nearly 700 firefighters, police, military personnel, and families completing the 110‑story equivalent.
- Organizers at Autzen issued badges bearing names and photos of fallen responders, played a commemorative video, marked key 9/11 times along the route, and invited climbers to ring a bell upon reaching the 78th‑floor milestone.
- Oregon National Guard leaders, including Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold and Command Sgt. Maj. Lee Smith, took part in the full course, underscoring the event’s interagency support and unity.
- In Asheville, a Workout Anytime gym ran a Sept. 11–13 challenge of 2,071 steps — equal to 110 flights — with a 78th‑floor recognition point and strong firefighter participation from nearby departments.