Eighth annual Thatcher 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb honors those lost in terrorist attacks

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The Thatcher Fire Department leads the line of people participating in the eighth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at EAC's John Mickelson Field on Wednesday.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

Jon Johnson Video/Gila Herald

THATCHER – It was an evening of reflection at Eastern Arizona College’s John Mickelson Field on Wednesday, Sept. 11, as the community gathered with firefighters and police officers to take part in the area’s eighth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. 

Thatcher Middle School Dean of Students Leah Meehl has led the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at EAC to honor first responders and all who lost their lives on that fateful day ever since her students once couldn’t participate in a similar event held at the UofA due to their age. Back then she served as a P.E. teacher and the tie-in was the physical fitness of the event. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher Middle School Dean of Students Leah Meehl has organized the event from its inception.

“You have to be 16 to do it – my P.E. students were not 16, so I had to get a little bit creative and we did it during the school day,” Meehl said. 

After the first year, Meehl’s mother who was a teacher in the Pima School District, joined and would bring Pima students to the event.

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Former Thatcher Fire Chief Mike Payne chats with firefighter Mike Nagy as a junior firefighter looks on in the foreground.

“Then one year it was on a Friday and neither of us could require students to be there on a Friday, so we evolved into this community event. Every year it just gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger. It’s amazing.”

Everyone who takes part in the event receives a lanyard with a picture of a fallen first responder from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. Photos of the fallen also adorn the stadium and those participating can view them during the event.  

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Participants take a picture of the first responders on their lanyards they are climbing the stairs for.

“I have people that go to the 9/11 museum in New York and they’ll come back and they’ll tell me, ‘I took my lanyard and I found my guy – I found his name on the wall’ (and) it makes me cry,” Meehl said. “It’s an amazing experience. The whole thing.” 

Thatcher and Safford Fire Departments had their ladder trucks hoisting giant American flags and other flags adorned the athletic field while Air Evac-21 performed several flyovers, giving a real Airwolf vibe. 

In addition to Safford, Thatcher, and Pima Fire, those involved included Lifeline Ambulance, GCSO, TPD, SPD, local schools, sports teams, and more.  

Local area first responders performed the climb, finishing 30 laps of the stadium in full firefighter turnouts and police attire. Among them was Thatcher Police Chief Glen Orr, who completed the full amount.  The 30 laps is about equivalent to the 110 stories, or 2,200 steps of the World Trade Center building. Out of the 2,983 victims killed in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001, 343 were New York Fire Department members and 72 were law enforcement members.   

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Students get a chance to feel what its like carrying your own air supply.

Some civilians also performed the entire 30 laps, but most did six laps and then a new set of roughly 50 people switched out roughly every 45 minutes, starting at about 5 p.m. and going until 9:30 p.m. Before each group’s start, Thatcher Mayor Randy Bryce spoke briefly about the event they were honoring and gave a history and perspective and how those performing the stair climb were finishing it for those who didn’t make it on 9/11. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher firefighters lead the processonal of stair climbers.

The music playing was on a loop and one part played the National Anthem. Without fail, no matter the group, when the anthem began, those hiking the stairs all stopped, removed any head coverings, and placed their hands over their hearts in reverence. And once the anthem was completed and other patriotic songs replaced it the hike resumed. Having covered numerous sporting events and other times where the National Anthem is played, the feeling in the air, while it was played during the stair climb, had a special reverence to it as those remembered all who were lost in defense of this nation.    

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Firefighters stand at attention during the playing of the National Anthem.

“Every year it just pulls at your heartstrings,” Meehl said. “It’s super amazing . . . Everybody coming. We’ll never forget; we’ll always remember.”

Thatcher firefighter Mike Nagy has participated in the event every year since its inception. This year, however, a knee injury prevented him from doing the stair climb. Instead, he rode a stationary bicycle the entire time and helped document the event with his cell phone. Meehl said the plan next year is to bring several stationary bicycles for use for those who can’t climb the stairs. Others also walked around the track in solidarity. 

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher firefighter Mike Nagy has participated in each previous stair climb and didn’t let knee problems stop him from taking part by riding a stationary bicycle for the duration.

“I gotta do something,” Nagy said. “I can’t do nothing. It’s the least I could do for the guys who sacrificed and the civilians and everyone that died that day. You gotta do something. You can’t do nothing.”(sic) 

Click here to see more photos from the event.