The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb hosted by Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. is an annual event held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay to honor the lives of the firefighters lost on September 11, 2001. Now in its 12th year, the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb invites individuals to reflect on the heroism and sacrifice that defined the tragic events of 9/11 as it unites participants from across the region inviting them to climb the equivalent of 110 stories - the height of the fallen World Trade Center towers - on the steps of Lambeau Field to remember the brave efforts of fire fighters and the indomitable spirit of those who perished on that tragic day. All proceeds raised go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to provide support for survivors in rebuilding their lives, and to collaborate with the Fire Service Community to reduce firefighter fatalities.

Each step climbed is a tribute to the 343 firefighters who gave their lives, and Stanley and Boyd residents, Toni Seidl, Josh Seidl, Carter Vait, Tate Derks, Ava Prahl and Raegan Christianson embraced their participation with determination and resolve.
Toni Seidl said, “My nephew Carter and I have participated in the Stair Climb for the past three years, and each year, we keep adding to our group. This year was our largest group, with six of us participating.” She explained that when participants register for the climb, they choose a badge with the name of a firefighter who perished on 9/11. When they reach the height of the 78th floor (the highest firefighters made it in the World Trade Center buildings), they ring the bell and say the name of the firefighter whose badge they chose.
“You clip that on yourself and climb for that firefighter and their family,” said Vait, an Eau Claire firefighter and a volunteer for the Boyd-Edson-Delmar Fire Department.
Derks, a Boyd-Edson-Delmar volunteer firefighter, said that he participated because he wanted to honor and remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives that day. “The climb is very challenging, not only does it challenge you physically, it challenges you mentally as well. The way I prepared for the climb is knowing that those 343 firefighters lost their lives on 9/11, so pushing through motivates me to keep climbing.”
Christianson, who has family members that are firefighters, stated that she climbed to honor both past and present firefighters. “Especially the ones who’ve sacrificed their lives to protect and save everyone who was unfortunately involved in this tragedy,” she said.

Seidl added that her motto for completing the climb was “Climbing because THEY climbed.” She shared how she felt participating this year. “Being surrounded by so many people (over 2,300 participants) is very humbling. We are all there for one reason- to honor the fallen. It's emotional at times, because during the opening ceremony, they play news reports and 911 calls that were placed on Sept. 11. It gives you chills hearing them.”

Recovering from knee surgery in June made the climb even more challenging for Toni but she was determined to complete it. “The most challenging part was going up the stairs because the stair height increases the further you go up. I kept trying to think of what those brave men and women went through that day and used that as motivation to keep going.”
Vait felt that the most challenging part of the climb for him was the mental aspect. “You’re hot, you’re tired, and you’re sore but doing it for those 343 firefighters pushes you to finish.”
“When you climb 110 flight of stairs wearing fire gear, it tends to get hot,” Derks admitted. “I will be honest. I did want to quit after about the fifth flight because I did not prepare myself for the climb. But then I kept telling myself that those firefighters didn’t quit on 9/11 therefore I couldn’t quit.”
For Christianson, the most challenging aspect of the climb was towards the end as she fought to finish. “I overcame it by remembering why I was doing the climb and remembering all of the lives that were lost during that time.” She conveyed that as she climbed, she thought of all of the firefighters who fought and how they did everything in their power to try to save everyone they could.

The group shared that the camaraderie of the attendees and the family-like atmosphere is memorable.
“It’s not a race, and everybody is there for one purpose so everyone there is motivating each other throughout the climb. There were over 2,200 participants at this year’s climb, but everybody was there and helped each other like a family, which is what makes the fire service so great,” said Vait.
Seidl agreed that all the participants were very encouraging of each other. “If you stop to take a break, or see someone else taking a break, a "keep it up", fist bump, or high five can make them feel really good and push themselves and you to keep going. It's also neat to see how far people travel to get there, from the fire gear they're wearing,” she said.
Derks noted, “The most memorable part for me was when my family was pushing me and telling me that I could do it when I was getting wore out and wanted to quit and also having other firefighters and participants tell me that I got it and that I can do it when I was falling behind with my group.”
Seidl captured the significance of the event, “343 Firefighters went to work on 9/11/01 not knowing that they wouldn't make it home at the end of their shift. I do it for them, for their memory.”