The campus of Kansas Wesleyan University was bustling with activity early Saturday morning, hosting what has turned into an annual event. The fourth “Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Walk” was held.
The morning began with a prayer, the national anthem, “Amazing Grace” by bagpiper Terry Ferguson and opening remarks. Participants were reminded the event is more than a physical challenge, it’s a living tribute.
Those participating in the stair climb climbed the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs, which is what the the firefighters on September 11th, 2001 had to climb. Some of the participants were firefighters wearing their full gear, which weighs about 100 pounds. Citizens joined in as well, including some students from Kansas Wesleyan.
With firefighter Grant Flemming leading the way, they climbed up and down the stadium stairs, taking seven laps around the facility to complete the task. When they finished, they went to an antique fire truck which had a flag with the names of the firefighters lost on 9/11, and rang the bell on the truck.
Nearly 3,000 first responders lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, including firefighters, police officers, and port authority responders. Since that time hundreds others have succumbed to 9/11 related injuries or illness.
Proceeds from this year’s “Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Walk” will go to help in a local child’s fight against cancer. In May 2024, 3-year-old 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.
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