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Participants climbed the facility’s staircases up to 42 times, commemorating the 110 flights of stairs in the World Trade Center in New York City. Going up and down the staircases represented the number of stairs first responders climbed that day.

On September 11, terrorists struck the two World Trade towers with two separate airplanes, causing them to collapse. That day, 343 New York City firefighters died on the scene. Other planes crashed in Pennsylvania and into the Pentagon.

Wednesday’s event was free and open to the public. Participants over the course of the day included those working out at the YMCA, homeschool families, the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville, the Janesville Fire Department, Janesville Police Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Beloit Police Department, Janesville School District, Beloit Fire Department and Janesville Jets hockey team.

Each participant walked in the memory of a fallen first responder. At the end of their time walking they placed a star in that person’s name on a wall.

Participants could don firefighter gear, including axes, picks and tanks; 65-pound hoses and 15-pound tactical training vests, to wear if they chose.

“This is bringing people together to remember. It’s easy to forget. There’s a lot of kids who are growing up and not experiencing anything like this,� said Rene Koepp, health and wellness coordinator for the YMCA of Northern Rock County, who remained on the scene for the duration of the 12-hour event Wednesday.

Koepp said this is the only 9/11 commemorative stair climb that she is aware of in this part of Wisconsin. She said she has heard of some in Illinois and one in the Green Bay area.

She said a lot of people may think that the because the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks happened so long ago that “it’s over, but people to this day are still struggling with the effects of 9/11, you know health issues. Anybody who was there, lung issues, cancer, asbestos poisoning, there’s a lot of people dying today because of that,� Koepp said.

Dave Sheen, a retired firefighter who was at Wednesday’s YMCA Stair Climb, said it was an important educational event.

“We were in some of the some of the same classes with some of the same guys teaching us. It’s a little personal that way when you know someone’s closer,� Sheen said.

More firefighters have died since the day of the attacks than on 9/11 itself. Since 2001, 377 New York City firefighters have died due illnesses tied to the attacks.

“When we say ‘never forget,’ we can never forget. There are kids in Janesville who are 20 years old who weren’t alive, so we have to do a good job of teaching them why this is important. It’s our generation’s D-day,� Sheen said.

As of 3:30 p.m Wednesday, 300 people had participated, and more came through in the evening, Koepp said. Last year there were 250 participants. The first year there were 125.