PGFD 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) 
WASHINGTON — Local emergency responders honored the firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11 with a memorial stair climb that simulated the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.
鈥淚t鈥檚 11 stories. We鈥檒l make that trip 10 times,鈥� says James McClellan, deputy fire chief with Prince George鈥檚 County Fire and EMS.
On Saturday morning, the fifth聽annual Prince George鈥檚 County 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Walk brought in firefighters from around the region, as well as police and civilians. Prince George鈥檚 County fire department sponsored the event.
The event was聽held at Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor.聽Organizers estimated that 500 people signed up, with others聽registering聽the morning of the event. The yearly stair climb is held as a fundraiser.聽McClellan says organizers hoped聽to raise $40,000 for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial this year.
But it the event was also about never forgetting.聽Each climber wore a badge with the picture and name of one of the 343 New York firefighters who was killed on Sept. 11.
鈥淕ood luck everybody,鈥� the climbers heard before taking that first step. Some firefighters were wearing their full, turn-out gear.
Jim Thorpe, a firefighter from Charles County, Maryland, says he did the climb in memory of the 343 fallen firefighters and in memory of his sister-in-law, who was killed by a drunk driver. Thorpe and his sister-in-law, who also is a firefighter, did the climb last year. They had promised to do it again this year.
鈥淚鈥檓 finishing it for the 343 and for my sister-in-law,鈥� Jim Thorpe says.
Jessica Shirinian did聽the聽challenge for the first time. Her boyfriend is in the Prince George鈥檚 County fire academy and she鈥檚 also from New York City.
鈥淕osh there鈥檚 so much emotion especially being from New York City,鈥� she says. 鈥淜nowing how many people dedicated their lives. All those people who did everything they could knowing that they probably wouldn鈥檛 come back. That they probably weren鈥檛 gonna come back but they forged ahead to save as many as they could. So it means a lot. It鈥檚 a great way to remember the people and honor them.鈥�
