SIU’s stair climb to commemorate 9/11, War on Terror

August 15, 2024

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University Carbondale will pay tribute to the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, with a workout session at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sept.11.

The 9/11 Saluki Stair Climb at SIU's Banterra Center involves a simulated 110-floor stair climb, representing the 110 floors of the World Trade Center twin towers that were destroyed that day. The public can participate individually or as a team. Participants should plan to arrive by 5:45 a.m.

Alternatively, participants have the option to walk for 2 miles around the Banterra Center concourse. The distance represents the evacuation from Ground Zero to a site across the Brooklyn Bridge.

The workout, annually carried out by SIU Air Force and Army ROTC cadets, honors first responders, members of the military and civilians who lost their lives as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and ensuing War on Terror.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration and a waiver are required. Organizers will give away a limited number of T-shirts commemorating the event.

Air Force ROTC, SIU Department of Public Safety, Saluki Athletics, SIU Veterans Services and Events and Outreach are collaborating to host the event. The event is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, SIU Veterans Services, and Diana House and family.