A Weekly Column
by Mary Wilson
September 12, 2019
I was in my dorm room at Northwest Missouri State when it
happened. My roommate had just come in from the showers, and she said that
everyone was telling her to turn on the news. That’s when we saw the second
plane hit. In just a few minutes on the morning of September 11, 2001, the
world as I knew it was forever changed.
Nearly 3,000 people did not come home that Tuesday night.
Countless family members spent hours, days or weeks waiting for the dreaded
inevitable news of their loved ones. Of the 2,977 killed in the attacks on
September 11, 343 firefighters of the New York City Fire Department died while
fulfilling their duties at the World Trade Center.
Since 2011, 343 firefighters annually from all across the
metro have participated in the Kansas City 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb. This past
Sunday, Sept. 8, 13 members of the Grandview Fire Department embarked on the
110-story climb at the Town Pavilion downtown. In full gear, the firefighters were
supported by members of the community, coming together for a day of extreme
physical challenge and intense reflection in a truly inspirational setting.
Together, the first responders honor New York’s bravest who
sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001, and they support the families in
Kansas City who have suffered a line of duty death. Proceeds from the stair
climb benefit S.A.F.E., the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund, which provides
the comfort of financial support for the surviving spouses and dependents or,
in their absence, the parents of sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters
and emergency services personnel who lose their life in the performance of
their duties.
Grandview Assistant Fire Chief Jim Toone participated in the
climb for the first time this year. Upon arrival, each climber receives the
name and description of one of the 343 fallen firefighters. On Sunday, Toone
climbed in memory of Michael Roberts.
“It’s an honor to get to climb for another firefighter who
didn’t get to come home on 9-11,” said Toone. “It brings, at least in part, a
physical reminder of the lengths that 343 public servants took to reach those
needing rescue. The event is physically exhausting and worth every step.”
Toone estimates that he, along with the other 342
participants, climbed 2,640 stairs. Almost a stair for each life lost on that
horrific day. A sobering reminder of just how fortunate we are, and how
grateful we should be to those who put their lives on the line for us each and
every day. We will not forget.
Tweets by @MWilsonJCA
Mary Wilson, editor of the Jackson County Advocate newspaper, grew up in the Grandview community. She currently serves on the Missouri Press Association Board of Directors and works as Development Coordinator for the Grandview Education Foundation. Previously, she served as president of Grandview Main Street and on the board of directors of the Kansas City Press Club. Her most important title is that of "Mom" to her teenage son.
You can reach her at mwilson@jcadvocate.com.
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