Members of the Wayne Township Fire Department participated in the second-annual Columbus 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on on Friday.
The event honors and remembers the 343 New York City firefighters who selflessly gave their lives in the aftermath of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Each participant pays tribute to a FDNY firefighter by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.
The funds raised by the teams and climbers benefit the FDNY Counseling Services Unit and the programs provided by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to support the families of our nation’s fallen firefighters.
Wayne Township Fire Chief Chris Wysong learned of the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb in Indianapolis two years ago and began looking for local venues to be able to participate. This year, Wysong learned of the Columbus event at the MAPRE Columbus Crew stadium. Wysong created a team for Wayne Township and began encouraging friends, family, and co-workers to get involved.
Firefighter Matt Smith, Lt. Tyler Osborne, and Wysong participated in the event and were joined by co-workers of Wysong’s from the Ohio Army National Guard. The Wayne Township FD team of nine included Melissa Wysong and Amanda Hockensmith.
Firefighters from all around Ohio gathered at the stadium to participate and were joined by friends, family, and neighbors, building the event to over 200 participants.
“9/11 changed the nation, and many lives were lost during a tragic event,” Wysong said. “Those lives will be remembered in many different ways, and it was very humbling to be part of this event. I am proud of the Wayne Township Fire Department and everyone on the team who remembered this event by honoring a fallen firefighter through a very physical challenge.”
