The Salina Fire Department is planning to honor the first responders who selflessly gave their lives on September 11th, 2001, and the victims. The agency’s fourth “Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Walk” will be held this Saturday.
The Central Kansas 9/11 Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk allows civic leaders and citizens from Salina and across Kansas to honor and remember the first responders who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. It’s also a chance to show support for families facing childhood cancer diagnosis by providing immediate financial and family support, raising awareness, and contributing to the funding of childhood cancer research.
Proceeds from this year’s events will go to 3-year-old Ezra and his family. In May 2024, Ezra was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer. A bulge in the middle of his chest turned out to be a 16-inch tumor on his liver and multiple tumors on his lungs. With the liver tumor touching his heart, Ezra endured six rounds of chemo in an attempt to shrink it before having his first surgery in August 2024. In September he had double lung surgery where 17 tumors were removed from his lungs. Pathology reports showed a more aggressive cancer, Hepatocellular Neoplasm NOS. This finding put him in the stage 4 category and Ezra was diagnosed as “terminal.” Children’s Mercy gave him the best they had to offer and advised then to seek a second opinion. Ezra was accepted by Cincinnati Ohio Children’s Blood and Cancer Institute for research in clinical trials to shrink the lung tumors, which were coming back more aggressively. After two months in Ohio, they decided to transfer care back to Children’s Mercy. Ezra just had his second lung surgery, removing three more tumors.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 13th at JRI Stadium on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University. Cost to participate in $30 per person. Registration begins at 7:00 am and the event begin at 8:00 am.
