VIDEO: More than a thousand people gathered at the Tucson Convention Center for the annual 9/11 Tower Challenge to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Participants climbed 2,071 steps, the equivalent of the height of the World Trade Center towers. Many first responders took on the challenge in full turnout gear, honoring the firefighters, police officers, and other first responders who answered the call that day and never made it home.
โThey put on their turnouts and they went up the stairs, knowing they might not make it out,โ said Brian Watson, a retired IRS Special Agent. For many, the memories of that day stick with them. “I was in labor with my daughter,โ said Tucson Fire Chief Sharon McDonough. โI was actually in New York,โ added Josh Randall, president of the 9/11 Tower Challenge Foundation, recalling his sophomore year in college. Tucson Fire Department Assistant Chief Barrett Baker walked in honor of Port Authority Officer Walwyn Stuart Jr., who died during rescue efforts on 9/11.
