Norfolk holds community 9/11 remembrance memorial stair climb

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Norfolkans found a way to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary on Wednesday. 

Fire department and Parks and Recreation Officials hosted a memorial stair climb at Veterans Memorial Field. 

The event was initiated with the ceremonial bell-ringing by former Norfolk Fire Chief and current State Fire Marshal Scott Cordes.

The stair climb has been held for the last 15 years, but this was the first year where community members were invited to participate. 

"Tonight was super special for us," said Ryan Goodman, veteran firefighter and paramedic for Norfolk Fire, and owner of a local CrossFit gym. "It was great to be out in the community. It was awesome to see all the support, see everybody support this event and what it means to a lot of people.

And, it was great to see everybody experience something that may have been experienced to those firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and anybody there that day. So, it was wonderful to see all the support in the community and be out here with the community doing that. It means so much to us as firefighters. A lot of times we don't get to see everybody on good days, so it was fun to see them, work hard with them, and be here with them."

"I think it was awesome to see the community come together for such an amazing cause and remembrance of such a tragic event, that was not only tragic, but also unifying for Americans," said Katie Goodman, an owner of a local CrossFit Gym. "I just kept thinking, like the whole time we're climbing these stairs, 110-flights these guys ran into knowing that they're not coming, we can do this, you know? I just think it's just so powerful and I just love that Norfolk supported it. And, people from all walks of life can participate and it's just so unifying."

"It was a great event, probably more than we can even ask for being our first year as a community event," said NFD Fire Chief Tim Wragge. "Getting all the general public out here mixed in with our responders to do the 9/11 memorial climb. We had so many people finish it and everybody stayed the course until the very end, so could not be more pleased with the support we got from the community."

Over 100 people took part, a turnout appreciated by Norfolk firefighters. 

"I'd love to see it bigger and better next year," Ryan Goodman said. "Thank you so much for the support."

"I'm hoping word travels," Wragge said. "I know there's a commitment from the organization to continue to do this annually, and that's the plan."