CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hundreds of people climbed the stairs at Whataburger Field on Friday to honor the lives lost 25 years ago on September 11.
Every branch of the military, law enforcement, and students took part in the 7th annual stair climb, with each step up and down the stadium stairs representing the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers.
What started as a small U.S. Coast Guard event has grown into a community-wide tribute.
"It's our 7th annual and it was kind of brought to us by an original group of the Coast Guard here locally. This just really brings together a sense of community. You can look around every branch, every part of law enforcement is all here, including junior ROTCs and kids groups that obviously weren't born 25 years ago also taking part," Corpus Christi Hooks General Manager Brady Ballard said.
For Coast Guard Captain Charlie Wilson, the physical challenge mirrors the emotional weight of that day.
"This being the 25th year, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, it just means so much more. As with any type of grief, the only thing that heals that is time. We're out here sweating with each other in the South Texas heat, and this little sacrifice is just a small part of what that loss felt that day," Wilson said.
Commander Nick Leiter was a Coast Guard Academy cadet when the towers fell. The memory remains vivid.
"I remember exactly where I was at, what I was doing at that time. I was a swab at the Coast Guard Academy and I was just getting ready to go to my first class, and some classmates told me what happened and we couldn't believe it. And every time I come back to this day, I remember right where I was and so it's an honor to be here with my shipmates and to honor those who gave their lives," Leiter said.
The event also included the next generation. Desirae Chapa, a JROTC student at Roy Miller High School, completed the entire climb alongside firefighters in full gear.
"Today I'm here to pay tribute to the people who have fallen in order to protect others. It's truly inspiring to see everybody that's in the service, people I know, people I don't know from far and wide coming together here today," Chapa said.
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