Georgetown
Members of the Georgetown Fire and Police Departments have “responded” to the GISD athletic complex at Georgetown High School to walk the stadium bleachers until they have reached the equivalent of 2,400 stairs; all 110 floors of a World Trade Center building. The 2021 Stair Climb is the 10th anniversary of our local event in remembrance of the 343 first responders’ lives lost on September 11, 2001 in New York City.
At 8am, as the sun rises over the fields, firefighters and police officers are typically joined by members of Team Red, White and Blue; State Police officers and SWAT, and others from around Central Texas. Members of the community are welcome to attend this memorial event but, for safety and health reasons, participants are limited to Fire, Police, EMS and Military. They also ask that guests remember the solemnity of the occasion and maintain decorum.
This is not a timed event or a race of any kind; just a simple way to honor and remember others who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is also a wonderful way to communicate the commitment and dedication to duty of all first responders and armed forces.
Firefighters typically wear and carry their full complement of equipment, as their brothers did in the towers, and law enforcement wear their vests and helmets as well. Some carry flags, and some may even carry a lifelike dummy for part of the climb.
AROUND TOWN
The Samaritan Center is honoring the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a tower climb at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Observation Tower. The event is 8am-Noon and honors first responders and veterans.
Towering 251-feet into the Austin sky is the iconic Observation Tower. COTA’s colorful centerpiece features an array of 18 red, decorative steel pipes that flow from above the observation deck, down its north side. The Tower is 25 stories up and has 419 stairs. Participants will climb the stairs to the observation deck and back down.
The tower is at 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Del Valle.
HELPFUL ELEMENTS FOR YOUR OBSERVANCE
Moments of Silence
Observe a moment of silence at any or all of the following times. Everyone is invited to toll bells in their home, business, or community at these times.
- 8:46am: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Flight 11 into floors 93-99 of the North Tower.
- 9:03am: Hijackers deliberately crashed United Flight 175 into floors 77-85 of the South Tower.
- 9:37am: Hijackers deliberately crashed American Flight 77 into the Pentagon, near Washington, D.C.
- 9:59am: The South Tower collapsed.
- 10:03am: After learning of other attacks, passengers on United Flight 93 launched a counterattack aboard their plane to try to seize control of the aircraft. The hijackers crashed the plane in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- 10:28am: The North Tower collapsed. The rescue effort commenced immediately.
Read Names of Victims Aloud
The names of the men, women, and children killed as a result of the 9/11 attacks have been read aloud at the official 9/11 anniversary commemoration in New York City every year. This list of names inscribed on the 9/11 Memorial includes all those killed in the 9/11 attacks and the six individuals killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The 9/11 Memorial Guide allows users to select specific victim names or groups of names, including names of individuals from a certain place or agency.
Lower Flags in Remembrance
Lower flags to half-staff. Flags may be lowered at 8:46am when Flight 11 struck the North Tower.
CLICK HERE for digital exhibits and resources for classrooms or community presentations.