Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Local firefighters, police officers and members of the public participated in the 110-story stair climb honoring the 343 firefighters killed in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, during Hoover’s Climb to Remember memorial stair climb at the Riverchase Galleria on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
The city of Hoover’s annual Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony and Stair Climb to remember the people who died in service on the day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Riverchase Galleria and adjoining office tower.
The remembrance ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. in the Galleria food court.
This year’s keynote speaker is Hoover resident Mike White, a former All-Southeastern Conference member of the Crimson Tide football team who played for coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Ray Perkins and then served as a U.S. Navy Seal for more than 11 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. White also is the former general manager of the Riverchase Galleria but now serves as vice president and director of property management for Southpace Properties.
Immediately after the ceremony, the city of Hoover plans to hold its fourth annual memorial stair climb at The Offices at 3000 Riverchase office tower next to the mall.
Participants will repeatedly climb the stairwells of the building until they reach the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs, which is the number of stories that were in the twin towers of the World Trade Center before the buildings came crashing down on 9/11. The climb event is done in remembrance of the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center and gave their lives in an effort to save others.
The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Hoover Public Safety Foundation, with participants paying $30 to do the climb. Participants get a T-shirt and have a box lunch provided. Registration is open until the time of the event, but people can pre-register by going to eventbrite.com and searching for “9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.” For more information, call 205-444-7655.
