CENTRAL, S.C. — Students, faculty, first responders, and community members gathered at D.W. Daniel High School’s Dr. Herb P. Cooper Memorial Stadium on Friday, September 11, to honor the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The remembrance began on the football field, where student speakers reflected on the events of September 11 and the lives forever changed that day. A video explained the significance of the memorial climb and honored both the victims of the attacks and the first responders who entered the World Trade Center towers as thousands of others were trying to escape.
Following a moment of silence, first responders from Central, Clemson, and Six Mile, the three communities served by D.W. Daniel High School, led the climb. Firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMS personnel were followed by students, faculty, and community members.
The challenge carried special significance. One complete circuit of the stadium totaled 479 steps. Participants who completed six circuits climbed approximately 2,977 steps, one step in honor of each of the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001.
D.W. Daniel High School Principal Adam Russell was among those who completed the full six circuits. Throughout the climb, songs connected to September 11 and its remembrance played over the stadium speakers as participants continued making their way through the stands.
The hot, muggy morning made the sight of first responders completing the challenge in full gear especially powerful. Their climb served as a reminder of the courage and sacrifice of the first responders who entered the burning buildings 25 years ago, moving toward danger as others were trying to escape and attempting to reach those who could not save themselves.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of the day was seeing D.W. Daniel High School students take part in remembering an event that occurred before they were born. Twenty-five years after September 11, a new generation climbed alongside first responders, educators, and members of their community to honor lives they never knew and sacrifices they did not witness firsthand.
Twenty-five years later, the students climbing the stadium steps were not remembering a day they had lived through. They were honoring a history that has been entrusted to their generation. With every step, they helped ensure that the 2,977 lives lost, the courage of those who responded, and the significance of September 11 will continue to be remembered.
