More than 3,100 people showed up to Ohio State University's annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb before the sun rose Sept. 11, breaking the event's attendance record on the terror attack's 25th anniversary.
Each year, the event invites community members, OSU students, faculty and alumni and first responders to climb the steps of The Horseshoe in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Jackson Capra, a fourth-year cadet with OSU Army ROTC, was largely responsible for the planning of the event. The process began about six months in advance, and Capra said he considers it an honor to have
been tasked with coordinating something so important to the community.
"Being able to do stuff like this and remember everything that happened allows the memories of those who died and gave their lives trying to help others − firefighters, policemen, even the people's names that we don't know − their memories alive," Capra said.
Capra said there are options for people of all physical abilities at the climb, including steeper stair options higher up in the stands and ramp options at the bottom.
The opening presentation included a prayer and a speech from Trevor Brown, the interim executive vice president and provost of OSU.
"There's nothing like a little exercise and soon the morning sunrise to remind you that you're alive, and it's a privilege," Brown said. "After about 45 minutes of running up and down these stairs, we will all have a shared experience."
The stairs of Ohio Stadium represented the stairs first responders and evacuees traversed at the World Trade Center 25 years ago. Before climbers took to the stands, the American flag was raised, and a moment of silence was held. Brutus Buckeye used a horn to signal the start from the center of the field.
College students too young to remember 9/11 mark the anniversary
A large portion of the attendees are college students who aren't old enough to remember or have been alive at the time of the attacks. Still, they felt drawn to mark the significance of the day and reflect on the sacrifices of first responders who arrived at Ground Zero after the World Trade Center was struck.
As she climbed the steps of The Horseshoe, first-year OSU student Sophia Preston thought about the "brotherhood" she's created at the Amanda Township Fire Department, where she is a volunteer firefighter. She made the climb dressed in her full gear.
"If those were my brothers out there, I would want to remember them as well," Preston said. "We're all putting the same sacrifice out there, but the guys on 9/11 made the ultimate sacrifice, and this is just an easy way to honor them and honor their families that were left behind."
Brady Hicks, an OSU graduate from 1990, said he attended the event for the first time this year after he and his fellow employees at JPMorgan Chase Bank were encouraged to. He's worked for the company for 30 years and recalled visiting the bank's NYC office the year after the attacks. The destruction and pain from that day still sit with him now.
Ava Albert is a third-year OSU student and cadet in ROTC. For her, remembering the first responders and protectors who flooded into Ground Zero after the attacks to help with rescue and cleanup efforts is a reminder of the legacy she hopes to live up to as a service member.
"In one of the worst moments of our country, they stepped in and they didn't care about if they were going to lose their lives," Albert said. "Many of them did. That example is something that I want to strive to."
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Stadium 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb sets record on attack's 25th anniversary
