To mark the 18th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, two students in Florida climbed 100 flights of stairs to honor the victims who died on that horrific day in 2001.

Polk County Public Schools took to Facebook to post a photo of Bartow High’s Medical and Fire Academy students Samuel Martin and Devin Turner, who took part in the 2019 Memorial Stair Climb.

Held every year on the anniversary of 9/11, the event calls on firefighters all over the nation to climb 110 flights of stairs to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. As they rested between the flights, students recited the names of the 343 firefighters who were killed in the World Trade Center attacks.

“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,” 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.”

Memorial stair climbs like this one were performed all over the country in honor of the New York City firefighters who were killed. In Colorado, thousands of people headed to the Red Rocks amphitheater to complete nine laps around the amphitheater, the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs. The event helped to raise money for programs such as the FDNY counseling services unit and other programs to help the families of fallen firefighters rebuild from tragedy. Some of the firefighters who participated in this event did so in full gear.

Find out more about these stair climbs in the video below.