RARITAN TOWNSHIP, NJ — July 31, 2026 — The Raritan Township Fire Company is getting ready for its 14th Annual 9/11 Firefighter Stair Climb, which will take place at Hunterdon Medical Center on Sunday, September 27.

Firefighters, other first responders, and members of the public will be able to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the memorial event, which is being organized in collaboration with Hunterdon Health.

Participants will ascend the same amount of stairs as FDNY firemen ascended at the World Trade Center prior to the towers' collapse. Many firefighters completed the climb while wearing full structural firefighting gear, according to earlier coverage of the Raritan Township event, which described the task as roughly 110 storeys.

The organizers emphasize that the climb is not a race. Participants are encouraged to arrive physically prepared, with the event taking approximately 1.5 hours. Drinks and light snacks will be available during the climb, with lunch served afterward.

The event will be held at the hospital's main campus at 2100 Wescott Drive in Raritan Township. Registration must be completed online, and participation is capped at 343 climbers, a number chosen to honor the 343 members of the FDNY who died on September 11.

Organizers also plan to have the Rolling Memorial, FDNY Rescue 5, on site, according to the event announcement. The first several hundred registrants are scheduled to receive commemorative challenge coins.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the FEALGood Foundation, which supports emergency personnel dealing with illness and other health consequences connected to their service. The foundation states that its mission includes assisting firefighters and other emergency personnel who have been injured or face serious injury related to their duties.