WANTED: Participants for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to be held in conjunction with Firehouse Expo in Baltimore.
As of Monday, only 93 people had registered to participate in the climb set for Thursday, July 21 at the Hilton Baltimore, according to Billy Hinton, who is coordinating the event for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
"We are in desperate need of climbers," he said, adding that the goal is 343.
The event honors the 343 FDNY firefighters who perished while climbing the 110 stories of the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 to evacuate occupants.
The participants don't have to be firefighters, Hinton added. "And, you don't have to climb all 110 stories. We certainly don't want anyone to fall out..."
Each climber wears the photograph of a fallen FDNY firefighter on a lanyard around their neck.
"You can register and participate without climbing. We have many people who pay the $25 registration fee. The photograph of their firefighter is carried by someone actually doing the event," he explained.
All the money goes to the NFFF programs to assist the survivors of FDNY firefighters including those whose loved ones suffered life-threatening illnesses after their work at Ground Zero.
Hinton said firefighters can wear whatever is comfortable. "They can wear turnout gear or shorts and jogging shoes," he said. "We just ask them not to bring SCBAs."
Firehouse Expo set for July 19-23 is honoring the first responders who shined on 9/11.
