SARASOTA — Firefighters in full gear will lead hundreds of people up the stairs at Nathan Benderson Park on Friday as the community marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The inaugural 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Day of Remembrance will take place from 8 a.m. to noon at the park’s Finish Tower. More than 300 people have registered for the free event, which will include an honor guard, ceremonial bell and piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center.
Participants may walk, climb or run the stairs, completing the full challenge by making 17 trips up the tower or proceeding at their own pace.
The commemoration carries special significance in Sarasota County, which has deep connections to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
President George W. Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informed him that a second plane had struck the World Trade Center and that the nation was under attack. Three of the terrorist pilots also received flight training in Venice and Sarasota before the attacks.
At Nathan Benderson Park, bells will ring and moments of silence will be observed at 8:46, 9:03 and 9:59 a.m., marking the first plane striking the north tower, the second plane striking the south tower and the collapse of the south tower. A dispatch radio call will be played at 10:28 a.m., when the north tower collapsed.
Sarasota County Fire Department Battalion Chief James "Jiggy" Mattera, who participated in the recovery effort in New York in September 2001, will serve as master of ceremonies and share his experience.
The ceremony begins with an honor guard and national anthem at 8 a.m. at the Finish Tower, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle. Registration is strongly encouraged through Nathan Benderson Park’s website: nathanbendersonpark.org/event/9-11-memorial-stair-climb.
Twenty-five years after the attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, here is what to know about 9/11 and its enduring legacy.
What happened on 9/11?
What began as an ordinary Tuesday morning became one of the deadliest days in American history.
At 8:46 a.m., hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. A third hijacked plane, American Airlines Flight 77, slammed into the Pentagon, while a fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the attackers.
Millions watched in horror as the attacks unfolded live on television and both Twin Towers collapsed within hours.
Who planned the 9/11 attacks?
The Sept. 11 attacks were planned and carried out by al-Qaida, the terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden.
Federal investigators say the plot was orchestrated by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, with bin Laden and al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahri overseeing the operation. Nineteen hijackers carried out the attacks, led by Mohamed Atta, who piloted American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
The hijackers spent months preparing for the coordinated attack and began entering the United States as early as 2000.
Bin Laden went into hiding after 9/11 and was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011. Al-Zawahri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan in 2022. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed remains imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, where he and three co-defendants are scheduled to face a military tribunal in 2028.
How many people died on 9/11
A total of 2,977 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, not including the 19 hijackers, according to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. It remains the deadliest foreign attack ever carried out on U.S. soil.
- World Trade Center: 2,753 deaths, including hundreds of first responders.
- Pentagon: 184 deaths, including passengers, crew and Pentagon employees.
- Flight 93: 40 deaths after passengers fought back against the hijackers.
What was President Bush doing in Sarasota on 9/11?
George W. Bush, serving his first term as president, was reading with second graders at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota as the attacks unfolded.
At 9:05 a.m., White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card leaned down and whispered in the president’s ear: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.”
Bush remained in the classroom for several minutes before addressing the nation from the school and departing Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport aboard Air Force One.
Who was New York City's mayor during 9/11?
Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City during the attacks.
Giuliani became a national figure as he helped lead the city through the immediate aftermath and recovery effort, earning the nickname "America's Mayor."
How many planes were hijacked?
Four commercial airplanes were hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
Two were flown into the Twin Towers, one struck the Pentagon, and the fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to stop the hijackers.
Why does 9/11 still matter 25 years later?
Twenty-five years later, the attacks continue to shape American life, from airport security and counterterrorism policy to the nation's collective memory.
As the U.S. marks the anniversary, memorial ceremonies across the country will honor the victims and ensure a new generation understands the events that changed America forever.
Contributing: Susan Page, Christopher Cann, Phaedra Trethan / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 with inaugural stair climb
