POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Two Bartow students paid tribute to those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center by walking up more than 100 flights of stairs while reciting the names of the firefighters in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Samuel Maritn and Devin Turner are members of Bartow High School’s Medical and Fire Academy.
On Tuesday, they participated in the 2019 Memorial Stair Climb, an event held around the country by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, in which firefighters climb 110 flights of stairs, which was the height of the World Trade Center Towers.
According to a post on the Polk County School’s Facebook page, the boys dressed in full firefighting gear and walked up more than 100 flights of stairs.
“While resting between flights, they recited the names of the 343 New York City firefighters killed in the World Trade Center attacks,” the post said.
“We go through the history of the fire service, and 9/11 is a focal point in that history. We keep this day at the forefront when talking about loss,” said Kozette Hubbard, a BHS Medical and Fire Academy instructor. “I am very proud of these young men and the fact that they did this on their own. We push our cadets to be forward thinkers and always remember service to others before self … this is just a small snapshot of what the cadets are capable of.”
