Local firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and first responders invited to climb in remembrance of those who answered the call Sept. 11, 2001
First responders from across the region will gather at Red Hawk Resort + Casino next month for its annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, honoring the firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency personnel and others who responded to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Red Hawk Resort + Casino will host the memorial climb Friday, Sept. 11, with this year’s event carrying added significance as communities across the nation mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the stair climb at 9 a.m. inside the parking garage at Red Hawk Resort + Casino in Placerville.
Firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians and other first responder personnel are invited to participate, climbing together in remembrance of the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice and in recognition of all whose lives were forever changed by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
The memorial climb is designed to symbolically recognize the physical journey undertaken by first responders at the World Trade Center that morning while giving local emergency personnel an opportunity to gather, reflect and remember.
On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers were among the thousands killed in the attacks. As civilians evacuated the World Trade Center, firefighters and other emergency personnel entered the towers and began climbing stairwells toward those who needed assistance.
Twenty-five years later, memorial stair climbs have become a tradition in communities across the country. Participants climb in remembrance of those who answered the call that morning and never returned home.
Red Hawk’s annual event brings that tradition to the foothills, providing first responders from El Dorado County and surrounding communities an opportunity to participate locally.
According to Red Hawk Resort + Casino, the physical challenge of climbing together serves as a symbol of the extraordinary journey undertaken by first responders on Sept. 11 and of the courage, camaraderie and resilience that continue to define the first responder community.
This year’s climb also recognizes the passage of a quarter century since the attacks and their lasting impact on survivors, families, first responders and communities throughout the nation.
The 2026 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb takes place Friday, Sept. 11, at Red Hawk Resort + Casino. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the stair climb beginning at 9 a.m. Participation is open to firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and other first responder personnel.
Those interested in participating can obtain registration information by emailing OttT@eldofire.com or calling 209-986-3108.
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