Upper Arlington firefighters are gearing up to climb the equivalent of the World Trade Center towers again this September, retracing 2,200 stairs at Marv Moorhead Memorial Stadium to mark 25 years since the September 11 attacks. The second annual Central Ohio 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is set for September 13, with organizers giving would-be participants only a few more days to register in time to receive an event t-shirt.
The climb is a partnership between IAFF Local 1521 and the Upper Arlington Fire Division, according to a City of Upper Arlington, Ohio - Government post on Facebook. Participants can either walk 3.5 miles around the stadium or tackle the full 2,200-stair climb, a distance meant as a tribute to first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Anyone who wants a t-shirt needs to sign up by this Friday, August 14.
A Tradition Now in Its Second Year
This is not the department's first time hosting the tribute. Upper Arlington Fire Division held its inaugural 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on September 14, 2025, at the same stadium, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage. That makes this year's event the second annual installment of a local tradition that now coincides with the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The 2,200-stair format is not unique to Upper Arlington. It traces back to a standard adopted nationally after five Colorado firefighters climbed 110 flights of stairs in Denver in September 2005, a tribute that grew into a nationwide movement once the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation partnered to establish standard protocols in 2010, per the foundation. Traditionally, each participant carries an honorary badge bearing the photo and name of a specific firefighter lost on 9/11, symbolically completing the ascent FDNY responders made that day, the foundation notes.
Where the Money Goes
Event proceeds benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which the organization says ensures that fallen firefighters' loved ones are never forgotten and provides ongoing support to their families. Those NFFF-sanctioned climbs directly fund the FDNY Counseling Service Unit along with grief support, peer networks, and college scholarships for surviving families of fallen firefighters, according to the foundation.
The stakes behind that mission have only grown with time. While 343 FDNY firefighters died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, more than 360 additional department members have since died from 9/11-related illnesses as of September 2024, according to EMS1. The FDNY adds names to its World Trade Center Memorial Wall each year to honor personnel lost to post-9/11 rescue and recovery illnesses.
Local Sponsors and Ohio's Broader Movement
Registration for the 2026 Central Ohio 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb opened June 1, drawing sponsorship support from local entities including law firm Livorno & Arnett Co., LPA, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Sunbury Ohio #3614, according to the event's Facebook page. Diamond and gold tier sponsors help cover event overhead so that registration proceeds go directly to the foundation.
Upper Arlington's climb is one of several similar tributes taking place across the state. Akron's own 9/11 Stair Climb at InfoCision Stadium, which debuted on the attacks' 20th anniversary in 2021, raises funds for first responder mental health support, as Hoodline has previously reported.
A Department Rooted in the Community
Upper Arlington Fire Division operates from two stations with 59 sworn firefighter/paramedics, responding to roughly 5,300 emergency calls a year for a city of more than 36,000 residents, according to the City of Upper Arlington. The department runs three 24-hour shifts using an engine unit, a ladder truck, and medic units.
The stair climb is not the union's only community effort. IAFF Local 1521 also partnered with Project Fire Buddies to support local children fighting critical illnesses, part of a broader pattern of outreach beyond fire response and safety. Marv Moorhead Memorial Stadium itself, located at Upper Arlington High School on Ridgeview Road and named for the school's legendary former football coach, reopened after a major renovation in September 2019 and regularly hosts sports and civic gatherings.
