UNION, Ky. — Students at Ballyshannon Middle School marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with an annual stair climb designed to honor the first responders who lost their lives during the attacks.
The middle schoolers climbed as many as 79 flights of stairs — roughly 2,200 steps — to simulate what firefighters and other first responders faced as they made their way into the World Trade Center to rescue people trapped inside.
For students like 7th grader Vincent Bolanos, the challenge offered a way to better understand the physical demands first responders faced that day.
“To mimic what the first responders had to do on the day of 9/11 to go back up into the building to save people who were hurt and couldn't walk,” Vincent said.
Not every student completed all 79 flights. Vincent reached 79, while Quinn Doshi completed 60, Eli Green reached 59 and Brooklyn Smith completed 63.
But for the students, the number of flights was only part of the experience. They also carried the names and stories of people who died while trying to help others.
Quinn carried the name of Michael Brennan.
“He was one of the first responders who went into the World Trade Center to save everybody,” Quinn said.
For Eli, the climb became a personal challenge.
“I wanted to keep going because I wanted to represent my cousins and all the first responders that are out there risking their lives,” Eli said.
Brooklyn said the experience helped put the sacrifices of first responders into perspective.
“They had to do even more than just go up and down steps,” Brooklyn said. “They had to actually help people and fight for themselves.”
A bell rang when the students completed the challenge, marking the end of the climb.
Kevin Dailey, a teacher at Ballyshannon Middle School, said the school hopes the annual tradition teaches students about the sense of unity that followed the attacks.
“No one was a Democrat or Republican, no one was rich or poor, rural or urban,” Dailey said. “We were all Americans, and that sense of community, I think, is what we hope our students get out of that.”
For students who were born years after 9/11, the stair climb provides a tangible way to connect with an event they know primarily through history lessons and stories.
Eli said the most important lesson is one he hopes people continue to remember.
“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate,” he said.
