Public invited to 2022 Hoover Climb to Remember as 9/11 nears

For the second year, the Hoover Fire Department is organizing the Hoover Climb to Remember as part of the city’s remembrance of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001.

This Saturday, Sept. 10, people have an opportunity to participate in a stair climb in The Offices at 3000 Riverchase office tower attached to the Riverchase Galleria. Participants will repeatedly climb the stairwells of the building until they reach the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs, which is the number of stories that were in the twin towers of the World Trade Center before the buildings came crashing down.

The climb event is done in remembrance of the first responders who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center and gave their lives in an effort to save others.

The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Hoover Public Safety Foundation, with participants paying $30 to do the climb. Last year, about 80 people participated in the climb, and combined with other donations, the event raised closed to $4,000, said Torrey Teal, the administrative services specialist and assistant public information officer for the Hoover Fire Department.

As of Wednesday morning, 43 people had registered for this year’s climb, but more climbers are expected, Teal said. Registration is open until the time of the event, which will take place immediately after a 9 a.m. 9/11 remembrance ceremony in the Riverchase Galleria food court. The ceremony is expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, Teal said.

The guest speaker for this year’s ceremony is retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Pocopanni, a Hoover resident who is chairman of the Hoover Veterans Committee. The ceremony also will include remarks from Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato (a retired Hoover fire marshal) and Hoover fire Chief Clay Bentley, a presentation of the U.S. flag by the Hoover Public Safety Honor Guard, a bagpiper and bell ringing. Jonathan Hardison, a news anchor with WBRC Fox 6 News, is scheduled to serve as master of ceremonies.

Each participant in the Hoover Climb to Remember will receive a T-shirt, a lanyard with the picture of one of the first responders who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11, and a boxed lunch after the climb, Teal said.

The walls of the stairwells at The Offices at 3000 Riverchase will have pictures of first responders who died in the World Trade Center, along with their names, ages and ranks, Teal said.

Last year, a limited number of people did the climb in an office tower stairwell, and, due to COVID-19 precautions, others did the climb in an outdoor stairwell in the north parking deck at the Galleria, Teal said.

This year, the plan is for all climbers to use office tower stairwells, with three stairwells available, she said. Last year, people of all ages participated, and some dads carried young children on their shoulders, she said. “It was just cool last year to see that,” she said.

There also will be a limited number of Hoover Climb to Remember T-shirts available for purchase for $15.

People can register for the Hoover Climb to Remember or make donations here.