Erica Ross had never been so proud to have shaking legs.
“My legs feel like jelly,” the 26-year-old UF marine biology doctoral student said Monday night after participating in the first Memorial Stair Climb at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Ross and about 70 others trekked up and down the steps of the stadium to honor the lives of servicemen lost on the 16th anniversary of 9/11. The Collegiate Veterans Society hosted the first Memorial Stair Climb. The 1,980 steps they climbed equaled the 110 stories in the World Trade Center Towers, said Brett Surles, the president of the Collegiate Veterans Society.
When Surles joined the Marines in 2008, he remembered when he was an awestruck 11-year-old boy who saw the the towers fall. Surles said seeing the patriotism the country had following the attack changed him.
“I developed a great sense of patriotism and love for my country,” the 27-year-old said.
Surles felt that it was important for people to come out and honor the men and women who sacrificed themselves for their fellow Americans.
“I’m expecting everyone involved to gain a respect for what the first responders felt when they rushed into the burning building and climbed these steps on September 11,” Surles said. “Also, we want everyone to be reminded that we have not forgotten and will never take that sacrifice for granted.”
Surles said the Collegiate Veterans Society will continue to hold the event annually at UF.
Evan Hill, a 24-year-old UF marine science alumna, said she was proud of herself and her friend for finishing the climb.
“I just think it’s an amazing thing to support our servicemen and women,” she said. “My dad was in the Marine Corp, so I have a lot of respect for these people.”
Anneke Wenceo, a 21-year-old UF public health master’s student, said she felt it was important to acknowledge those who died during the attacks.
“It should be honored, and I think that this a really fantastic way to do it, because it physically shows you’re part of what they went through,” she said.
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Friends Erica Ross (left), a 26-year-old UF marine biology doctoral student and Evan Hill (right), a 24-year-old UF marine science alumna climb the stairs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in honor of the fallen servicemen and women of 9/11. Both women felt proud of each other for completing the climb.
UF students, alumna, and Gainesville residents came out to complete the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. About 70 people showed up and climbed 1,980 steps, equivalent to the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.
