A group of West Grove Fire Company volunteers and family members traveled to Lancaster, PA Sunday to participate in the Lancaster 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb.

The event, held at Clipper Magazine Stadium, is an annual fundraiser to support the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which raises funds to support the families of firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. On September 11, 2001 343 New York City firefighters died when the World Trade Towers collapsed. The deaths of these men left many families fatherless and many survivors wondering why they were spared. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors 9-11 Memorial Stair Climbs across the country to remember the firefighters who laid down their lives that day. Funds raised by the Stair Climbs go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support the Counseling Services Unit of the FDNY and to develop programs to reduce the injury and line of duty deaths

This year's 10th annual event in Lancaster has participants climb the equivalent of 110 stories while carrying a picture badge of one of the fallen FDNY firefighters. Completing the Stair Climb symbolically completes the climb FDNY firefighters tried to do on September 11, 2001.

A contingent of WGFC members and family member participated in the event, which raised a total of more than $13,500.00 on Sunday. Participating were members: Rob Kloss; Sonia Kloss; Skyler Benasuitti; Kelley Dinsmore and her husband Robbie; Mike Lindsay and his mother Joan and sister Kelly; Bill McCrossan and his wife Carla; and Josh Oyler. All of us at the WGFC are proud of this team for representing the fire company, and being part of an international "brotherhood" of firefighters -- all of whom shared the loss of the 343 in NYC that tragic day 19 years ago.

For more information on the Lancaster 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, see: https://lancasterstairclimb.org/?fbclid=IwAR3tKrQCxEvuQGeVdi1ldThSUfKL6VUWpWgvDJ6MkfhCvulpmozZhAJiLRk and https://www.facebook.com/LancasterStairClimb . The mission of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is to honor and remember America's fallen fire hereos, to provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives, and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries. See: https://www.firehero.org/ .

Thanks to the Lancaster 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, Devonshire and Maddy Rohrer Photography for some photos. Others copyright WGFC.org.