KEARNEY — The Kearney Chapter of the First Responders Foundation hosted their inaugural 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023.
The chapter in Kearney is a new addition to the First Responders Foundation (FRF) formally getting its start in January.
Amanda Pearson is the chairperson of the Kearney chapter and was present at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds Expo Center for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Pearson said as a new organization, this was their first year hosting the event, with the chapter wanting to find a way honor the first responders who rushed to the scene of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
The stair climb was hosted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., to give people in the Kearney community ample chance to participate.
The image of firefighters, weighted down by their bunker gear and oxygen equipment, ascending the stairs of the World Trade Center in a doom rescue effort before the collapse, has been burned into the American consciousness.
The first known 9/11 memorial stair climb is reported to have occurred on Sept. 11, 2003, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Albuquerque Fire Department Lt. Charles Cogburn scaled a two-story building 55 fives wearing his body armor, helmet and M-4 rifle. He returned home in 2004 and brought the event back with him.
Today, fire departments and citizens across the United States climb 2,071 steps to represent the 110 floors at the World Trade Center.
Pearson said the stair climb event, in a small way, puts people in the mind of the first responders who had to make that climb. She said we can reflect in safety at what must have been going through their minds.
The proceeds raised will go to the First Responders Foundation, while 20 percent will go to the National Firefighter Foundation.
First Responders Foundation
“The mission of the First Responders Foundation Kearney Chapter is to serve and honor all our First Responders, Veterans and their families, build appreciation and respect for their work and enhance public safety,” per the Kearney chapter’s website.
“The Kearney Chapter is an extension of the First Responders Foundation. The Chapter is led by local community members who are best equipped to address the needs of first responders in the Kearney area. Funds raised here stay in Kearney and are used to further our mission,” per the website.
The Chapter partners directly with Kearney first responders and citizens to provide what is needed for local first responders, veterans and our community.
“Police officers and firefighters put their lives on the line for us each and every day. They are the first people on the scene when an emergency strikes. While everyone else is running away, these brave men and women are running towards dangerous situations to save and protect the people of our community,” per the First Responders Foundation
The Foundation recognizes a wide range of first responders’ positions, including Dispatch, Sheriff, Corrections, EMS, and many more.
