“On September 11, 343 FDNY firefighters climbed the World Trade Center towers to save others. This September, every American is invited to climb one flight of stairs to help symbolically finish their heroic climb and honor every firefighter who has made the ultimate sacrifice. Twenty-five years later, we finish the climb together.”
For Immediate Release · August 1, 2026
25 Years. 343 Heroes.
One Flight to Finish the Climb.
For the 343 is a nationwide movement created by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for the 25th anniversary of September 11, inviting every American to climb one or more flights of stairs to help symbolically finish the heroic climb of the 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11, and to honor every firefighter who has made the ultimate sacrifice.
Participants climb, record their flights at forthe343.org (adding to the national count and interactive map), share on social media using #ForThe343, and challenge three others to participate. Donations support the NFFF’s mission to honor fallen firefighters, support Fire Hero Families, and advance firefighter safety.
Three ways to participate
- Find a Climb Near Me: Join an Official 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, organized by communities and fire departments in more than 40 states.
- Honor Anywhere: Climb one or more flights of stairs anywhere, record your flights at forthe343.org, share your tribute, and challenge three others.
- Donate: Support the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (501(c)(3); all donations tax deductible).
No app required. No personal data collected. Participation is free.
[NAME] · [TITLE]
[EMAIL] · [PHONE]
What Happened That Morning
An estimated 100 million Americans were not yet born on September 11, 2001.
Flight 11 strikes the North Tower. The FDNY dispatches companies from 75 firehouses across all five boroughs.
Flight 175 strikes the South Tower. Firefighters in 60 pounds of gear climb up the stairwells as office workers stream down past them.
FDNY members reach the 78th floor of the South Tower, the highest point recorded, calling for lines and companies to fight the fire.
343 members of the FDNY are killed, every rank from probationary firefighters to the Chief of Department. The deadliest day for firefighters in history. 2,977 lives lost in all.
Many more firefighters have since died of World Trade Center related illness, tragically a number that continues to grow. This movement honors them all.
“Every flight climbed today symbolically helps finish their heroic climb.”
The tradition
In 2005, five Colorado firefighters climbed 110 flights in a Denver stairwell in memory of their FDNY brothers. By 2008, every climber carried the name and photograph of one of the 343. Today, Official 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs are held in more than 40 states under the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. For the 25th anniversary, that tradition extends to every American: one flight, anywhere, recorded at forthe343.org.
Story Themes
100 million Americans weren’t yet born on 9/11. For the 343 transforms remembrance into participation, giving a generation that knows the story a meaningful way to honor the heroes.
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb began with five Colorado firefighters in 2005. Twenty-five years later, that spirit has expanded into a nationwide opportunity for every American to honor the 343, wherever they are.
“[TOWN] joins the national For the 343 movement.” Local fire departments, businesses, schools, and families are finding their own ways to honor the 343. We can connect reporters with local participants.
Millions of Americans can honor together, from firehouses and office buildings to schools, stadiums, and hometown memorials. One nation. One shared act of gratitude.
Americans are challenging one another to honor the 343. Participants climb, share their tribute, and invite three others to continue the movement.
You don’t have to be in New York to honor September 11. Every hometown has firefighters who answer the call every day. For the 343 gives every community a meaningful way to say thank you.
For the 343 isn’t about breaking records or counting participants. It’s about creating millions of individual moments of gratitude that collectively ensure we never forget.
The Official Memorial Stair Climbs remain the gold standard. For the 25th anniversary, For the 343 expands participation so every American can honor, regardless of where they live.
Fact Sheet, FAQ & Contact
Press FAQ
Experience it yourself
forthe343.org · Climb. Record. Share. Challenge. #ForThe343
Press contact
[NAME] · [TITLE] · [EMAIL] · [PHONE]
Interviews, live demos, hi-res assets, and local participant connections available on request.
Addendum A: Sample Article · approximately 750 words · free for editorial use · modify as needed
Headline and alternate headline provided. Fill the [HIGHLIGHTED] fields to localize. Facts and figures should remain exactly as written.
Twenty-Five Years Later, America Finishes the Climb
Alternate headline: One Flight or More of Stairs. 343 Heroes. A Nation Climbing Together.
At 8:46 on the morning of September 11, 2001, the first alarm sounded. Within minutes, the New York City Fire Department had begun the largest response in its history, dispatching companies from 75 firehouses across all five boroughs to Lower Manhattan. With tens of thousands of civilians inside the World Trade Center, commanders ordered a full evacuation. And then the firefighters did the thing that still defines that morning: carrying sixty pounds of gear, they climbed up the stairwells as office workers streamed down past them.
Members of the FDNY reached the 78th floor of the South Tower, the highest point recorded that morning. When the towers fell, 343 members of the FDNY were killed: every rank, from probationary firefighters to the Chief of Department, and the Department’s chaplain. It remains the deadliest day for firefighters in history. In all, 2,977 innocent people were lost.
Many more firefighters have since died of World Trade Center related illness, tragically a number that continues to grow.
This September marks twenty-five years since that morning. And for the first time, every American is being invited to help finish the heroic climb that the 343 began.
For the 343, a nationwide movement created by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, asks one simple thing: climb one flight of stairs. One flight, anywhere, for any of the 343 who could not finish theirs. Record your climb at forthe343.org, where every flight is added to a national count and displayed on an interactive map showing America climbing together. Then share it and challenge three others to do the same.
“This is not about athletic achievement,” said [NAME, TITLE, NFFF OR LOCAL DEPARTMENT]. “It is about a nation taking one step together in honor of the people who took every step for us.”
The movement grows out of the fire service’s own tradition. In 2005, five Colorado firefighters moved their monthly training climb to September 11 and ascended 110 flights in full gear in a downtown Denver stairwell, in memory of their FDNY brothers. By 2008, every climber carried the name and photograph of one of the 343. Today, Official 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs are held in more than 40 states under the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, drawing thousands of participants and raising millions for the families of the fallen.
For the 343 extends that tradition to the rest of the country. Participants do not need to climb 110 stories. One flight counts. Several flights count. Those who cannot climb can walk, run, bike, share a memory of September 11, thank their local firefighters, or donate. Every sincere act of remembrance matters.
In [TOWN], [LOCAL DEPARTMENT OR ORGANIZATION] is bringing the movement to the community. “[ONE-SENTENCE LOCAL QUOTE],” said [NAME, TITLE].
The idea is spreading through fire departments, schools, businesses, faith communities, and sports teams. Gyms are dedicating classes to the 343. Schools are climbing their stairwells at lunch. Neighborhoods are gathering at apartment buildings and local landmarks. The national count at forthe343.org updates in real time, and participants can see their flights join the total alongside climbers from across all 50 states.
The challenge mechanic is deliberate. Each participant is encouraged to challenge three others, turning one flight into four, then twelve, then thousands. Shared through social media, text, email, or word of mouth with the hashtag #ForThe343, each tribute carries the invitation forward.
The campaign is also built for a generation that was not yet born on September 11. An estimated 100 million Americans have no personal memory of that morning. For the 343 gives them a way to honor the story not as observers, but as participants, turning a chapter they read about into an action they can take with their own two feet.
Every flight climbed and every dollar donated supports the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, established by Congress in 1992 to honor America’s fallen firefighters, support Fire Hero Families, and work to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries. The NFFF is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible.
Participation is free, requires no app or download, and collects no personal data. To find an Official 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, participate from anywhere, or donate, visit forthe343.org. The campaign hashtag is #ForThe343.
Twenty-five years later, every flight is a promise that America will never forget.
Editor’s note: Free for editorial use. Fill the highlighted fields to localize. Trims cleanly from the bottom to approximately 500 words (cut the final four paragraphs). Photo available on request or at forthe343.org.