CHENEY, Wash – Hundreds of people trudged up and down the stairs at EWU’s Roos Field Friday morning to honor the memory of those who risked their lives on 911.
EWU hosted a 9/11 Memorial Stair Clun for the second year.
Participants had a choice between two challenges. They could climb 2,200 stairs along the stadium’s west bleachers to mark the 110 floors of the Twin Towers. They could also choose to run or walk six laps on the track to honor Port Authority first responders who ran 1.5 miles through the Lincoln Tunnel to reach Ground Zero.
This was the second year of the event and organizers say the crowd of participants doubled in size.
“I think it’s just symbolic of the desire to create community,” said Dan Curley, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Cheney. “There’s so much more we have in common and things like this give us an opportunity to come to do that. When you see it actually happen and see how positive it is and what we have in common, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Participants said the desire to honor first responders had special meaning this year, considering the massive wildfires that devastated Spokane County last month.
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