Ohio Stadium hosts annual stair climb to honor victims of 9/11

• Buckeyes gathered this morning at The Shoe for the 9 11 Memorial Stair Climb

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Artistic swimming team members run up the stairs in Ohio Stadium

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Members of the Buckeye Rowing team enter Ohio Stadium

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Members of the Ohio State ROTC departments prepare for the stair climb

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Norman Jones, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, carries a flag during the stair climb

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Navy and Marine Corp students prepare for the stair climb

  Photo: The Ohio State University
• Volunteers climb the stairs at Ohio Stadium

  Photo: The Ohio State University

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Ohio Stadium hosts annual stair climb to honor victims of 9/11

Volunteers climb equivalent of 110 flights of stairs, symbolic of the twin towers

The Ohio State University's ROTC departments hosted hundreds of supporters from across the university and the central Ohio community Thursday morning to remember the lives lost on 9/11.

The annual stair climb event at Ohio Stadium on the anniversary of 9/11 continues to grow in participation each year. Students, university leaders and community members filled the stadium in the early morning to begin a 45-minute climb of the stairs inside the 'Shoe.

The volunteers climb the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs - symbolic of the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers. The event serves as a powerful reminder of the heroism displayed by the firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel who worked to save lives 24 years ago.

"September 11th is always a time where we gather to honor and remember the importance of service and how incredibly critical it is for each and every one of us to do our duty," said featured speaker Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork thanked the young members of the ROTC departments who are preparing for a life of service after graduation.

"Thank you for your commitment to our country. The future leadership of our country is in your hands, and we appreciate your commitment to what lies ahead," he said. "For those of us who were around during 9/11, we all remember where we were. We all remember the feelings that we had and the emotion in our country."

Bjork also thanked the athletics teams, including wrestling, men's and women's lacrosse, swim & dive, artistic swimming and rowing, who participated in the climb.

Air Force ROTC Cadet Aidan Spang, a third-year science education major, said the stair climb also develops connections between the other ROTC branches on campus. Army, Navy, Marine and Space Force members of the tri-services corps join the climb every year.

"It's really about building a strong sense of community here, and doing it with the other branches as well," he said. "Because we don't really get to do much stuff with them, so being able to join them is also pretty great."

The stair climb has personal meaning for women's lacrosse player Charlotte Browne. The New York native and marketing major said she remembers 9/11 through her father's service.

"My dad was on the fire department for 30 years. He was a captain during 9/11, so he was there that day," she said. "It's really special to do this with my team, be a part of a community that does this."

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