NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Tower Climb is coming back this June after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The event will be held at One World Observatory on June 5 in honor of all 9/11 heroes and first responders who lost their lives in the years that followed due to 9/11-related illnesses.
Participants will climb the 2,226 steps to the top of the building alongside members of the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD and New York State Court Officers.
The climb is symbolic of the sacrifice first responders made on 9/11.
"So many of our participants are climbing in memory of lost loved ones, from family members to fellow first responders," Jeanna DellaRagione, the foundation's executive vice president. "It's a very, very emotional day. It's a really, really beautiful display of hope and resiliency."
Registration is open, but limited to just 1,000 climbers.
Erika Oelkers, whose husband — FDNY Firefighter Thomas Oelkers — lost his battle against 9/11-related illness last May, will serve as the honorary starter for this year's climb.
The event supports the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Captain Billy Burke Jr. Foundation, which provides tuition assistance at Burke's alma mater, SUNY Potsdam, for children of FDNY firefighters.
The money raised at the climb builds homes for injured veterans and pays off the mortgages of the families of fallen first responders.
This year's climb will be the sixth one.
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