The fourth annual 9/11 Memorial Tribute Climb will be taking place next month at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa, according to an announcement distributed this week by event founder Lacy Martin. This year’s edition of the event will be the first since it became a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Martin’s statement said that over 150 climbers are expected to participate this year.
If that figure proves to be accurate, or even close to it, it’ll mark a sizable increase in participation since the event’s first year. Just twelve took part the first time around, and by last year that number had grown to 100. The increasing spectacle and scope of the climb is supported in part by the backing of Flagler Schools, Flagler County Fire Rescue, and the Palm Coast Fire Department.
Event Details
ⓒ Lacy Martin
The event will begin at 8:15 am on Wednesday, September 11th. Opening up will be a bagpipe performance by PCFD Lieutenant Patrick Juliano, followed directly by a performance of the national anthem by vocalist Melanie DiMartino. Speeches will be delivered by local students, fire chiefs, and other officials and community leaders. Sirens will be sounded off at 8:46 am, the exact time when the north tower of the World Trade Center was hit by American Airlines Flight 11.
At that point, the climbers will go up 110 flights of stairs, a symbol for the height of the towers. Those who make the ascent will carry with them poker chips with the faces of fallen firefighters, which are to be placed on a hand-carved American flag when the long, powerful climb has reached its conclusion.
Those wishing to participate in the climb can still register to participate at the event’s official website. Those interested in becoming a sponsor of the event can also inquire at the same link. Lunch will be provided for attendees after the climb courtesy of Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. A kids’ fun zone will be set up, and muscle recovery will be provided by chiropractor Jenn Thorton with her PEMF machine.
Event Background
Event organizer Lacy Martin. ⓒ Courtesy Photo
“Incorporating education into the climb is a priority for event founder Lacy Martin, who has secured a partnership with Flagler Schools,” the statement said of the event’s organizer. “Keeping the memory of 9/11 alive and educating our children about its significance is crucial for our future. This summer, Lacy attended a civic leadership camp for local middle schoolers, where students wrote speeches about what 9/11 means to them. The highest-ranking student will present their speech during the event on September 11th.”
This year marks 23 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, which resulted in 2,977 victims dying. The health problems for bystanders and first responders continues to be endemic to those affected. The Fire Department of New York in 2022 stated that 299 firefighters had died from ailments related to the attacks, separate from those killed on the day of the attacks. The New York Police Department listed 247 officers killed in the same manner as of 2020. Those in the vicinity of the collapsing Twin Towers inhaled significant amounts of materials such as asbestos, silica, metals, concrete, and glass particles according to the CDC. The result has been conditions like several cancers, bodily stress injuries, asthma, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.
