UPDATE: 8/28/2023 EMMITSBURG, Md. - The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has announced a change in venue for the 2023 National 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb for Fallen Firefighters. This annual event benefits the FDNY Counseling Service Unit and NFFF programs for families of fallen firefighters. This year’s National Stair Climb will be held on Sunday, October 15—and for the first time ever, the climb is taking place at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open Championships.
The public is invited to join hundreds of FDNY firefighters, family, and friends—as well as firefighters from around the country—to honor America’s fallen heroes lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and in the years since due to World Trade Center diseases.
“The National Firefighters Foundation stands with the FDNY in good times and bad, and this event helps us to raise money for the families of those members who have made the Supreme Sacrifice. This event also helps those who are working today, providing funding to our Counseling Service Unit, enabling help for all our members and their families. We know that help is critical, because of the difficult and courageous work our members perform,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. “We have all seen why these services are so vital throughout the pandemic, and any time there is a tragic event in our Department.”
Participants in the National 9/11 Stair Climb will climb 2,200 steps in Louis Armstrong Stadium to symbolize the 110 stories of the World Trade Center towers. The Stair Climb honors the sacrifice of an FDNY firefighter by symbolically completing their heroic journey to save others on that fateful day. All children are welcome at this family-friendly event; anyone age 13 and up may register to climb. Climbers may also participate virtually from any location.
“We have enjoyed a great friendship and partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation – and the stair climb is just another example of how well we continue to work together. We appreciate your commitment to our members and the Department – and we are grateful you put in the effort to honor, remember, and support the FDNY and our families,” said FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens.
Onsite check-in at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center begins at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 15 and the Opening Ceremony is at 10:00. The climb takes place from 10:30 until noon, followed by a post-climb reception with food and music. Tickets for the reception are also available for attendees and family members who are not climbing. All climbers will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a name badge representing a firefighter they are honoring and remembering with each step.
“The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is proud to support the FDNY through this 9/11 Stair Climb,” said Victor Stagnaro, Chief Executive Officer of the NFFF. “This stair climb is particularly moving because so many participants were personally affected 22 years ago. This climb reminds us of the sacrifices firefighters make—and helps us all become better firefighters and better citizens.”
Please help support this important mission. For more information and to register, please visit www.nationalstairclimb.org
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About the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit Foundation has developed and expanded programs that fulfill that mandate. Our mission is to honor America's fallen fire heroes; support their families, colleagues, and organizations; and work to reduce preventable firefighter death and injury. Learn more and see how you can get involved: https://www.firehero.org.
