This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our country. Between the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on that tragic day. Among them were 343 New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighters.

In 1992, Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which has developed and expanded programs to honor fallen fire heroes and assist their families and co-workers. The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is a way for firefighters and the community to honor and remember the 343 FDNY firefighters who died at the World Trade Center. The first stair climb was held on Sept. 11, 2005, when five Colorado firefighters convened at a high-rise building in downtown Denver to climb the equivalent of the 110 stories of the twin towers. Each subsequent year, attendance grew, and in 2010, the original Denver team partnered with the NFFF to create a template that would enable coordinators to host 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs anywhere in the United States.

Eleven years ago, Scott Yuill, a volunteer firefighter at the East Petersburg Fire Company, was surfing the internet and discovered the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Yuill decided to organize a stair climb in Lancaster because he knew someone who had lost his life during the terrorist attacks. The Lancaster 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb has always been held at the Lancaster Barnstormers' stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster.

"The idea is for participants to think about the sacrifice those 343 men made that day," said Yuill. "With everything else that's been going on, I think we've all forgotten."

The Lancaster 9/11 Stair Climb will be held on Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Lancaster Barnstormers' stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Firefighters will have the option of wearing turnout gear and carrying equipment. All participants will receive a photo badge of one of the fallen firefighters as well as a T-shirt, which is included in registration. During the climb, moments of silence will be held at the times the towers fell. At the end of the climb, when a participant finishes ascending the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs - which firefighters attempted on 9/11 - they will read the name on their badge and ring a bell, symbolizing the completion of the deceased person's climb. Although encouraged, preregistration is not required because there will be same-day registration. To preregister, visit https://lancasterstairclimb.org/registration. Spectators are welcome.

The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs fund programs provided by the NFFF to support the families of fallen firefighters and the FDNY Counseling Services Unit.

For more information, visit https://lancasterstairclimb.org or email syuill@lancasterstairclimb.org. To learn more about the NFFF, visit http://www.firehero.org.