Sept. 11 memorial events scheduled for Saturday

The El Dorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday inside the Union County Courthouse to honor civilians, emergency service workers and military personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty while responding to the terrorist attacks. The event is presented by the El Dorado Fire Department and El Dorado Professional Firefighters Local 1074. Participants will recreate the climb of 110 stories in the former World Trade Center town towers. Climbers will be able to select and wear badges displaying the names and photos of firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians/paramedics who died in the attacks in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (Contributed)
The El Dorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday inside the Union County Courthouse to honor civilians, emergency service workers and military personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty while responding to the terrorist attacks. The event is presented by the El Dorado Fire Department and El Dorado Professional Firefighters Local 1074. Participants will recreate the climb of 110 stories in the former World Trade Center town towers. Climbers will be able to select and wear badges displaying the names and photos of firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians/paramedics who died in the attacks in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (Contributed)

Communities across the country have planned Sept. 11 memorial events on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragic event and to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

Several local events are scheduled for Saturday, starting at 7:30 a.m. with the Major Ronald Wayne Culver Hero 5K Run/Walk, which is a part of the 22nd annual SouthArk Foundation Outdoor Expo and sponsored by Delek U.S.

The Expo is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the El Dorado Conference Center and the Run/Walk honoring the life and legacy of Culver, of El Dorado, will kick off the event.

Culver, 44, was killed in action on May 24, 2010, in Numaniyah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device struck the vehicle in which he was riding as part of a convoy that was heading back to his base.

Culver served in the U.S. Army National Guard. He was an employee of AmerCable and a community volunteer.

A memorial ceremony recognizing the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the United States will also be held Saturday at South Arkansas Community College.

The ceremony will be held at the Arkansas 9/11 Memorial located at the El Dorado Conference Center starting at 9:30 a.m.

The state memorial includes a marker honoring the four Arkansans who died in the attacks: Sarah Elizabeth Low of Batesville; Malissa White, of Bald Knob; Nehamon Lyons IV of Pine Bluff; and Tom Burnett of Little Rock.

Made of a nearly 700 pound piece of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center Tower One, the state memorial was placed at SouthArk a decade ago, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Since then, annual remembrance ceremonies have been held at the site.

This year's program will include memorial wreath-placing, a selection of patriotic music, a presentation by the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of the Police Honor Guard and a re-telling of how the state 9/11 Memorial came to find its current home in El Dorado.

The event is open to the public and is expected to last about 40 minutes.

Stair climb

Another local memorial event that is set for Saturday is the El Dorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, which will begin at 11 a.m. inside the Union County Courthouse

The stair climb is being coordinated by the El Dorado Fire Department and El Dorado Professional Firefighters Local 1074, in conjunction with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), to pay tribute to the firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians/paramedics and military personnel who died in or while responding to terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Participants will recreate a climb of the 110 stories in the former World Trade Center town towers.

Climbers will be able to select and wear badges with the names and photos of firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians/paramedics who died in the attacks, said Debbie Lewis, organizer and administrative assistant with the EFD.

Lewis said 23 climbers have signed up online and there are still plenty of slots available -- 150 total -- for those who would like to take part in the climb.

"The ones who have registered so far -- it's not just the fire department. We have two firefighters' wives, our chaplain (the Rev. Robert Wetherington, of St. Mary's Episcopal Church) signed up, members of the community. There's a variety," Lewis said.

Organizers are calling on the community to come out and support the climbers, who will take 1,980 steps on the two flights of stairs between the first and third floors of the courthouse.

"The first floor to the third floor is 62 steps, so technically, they will go up and down 38 times and on the 39th, they will only have to take four steps," Lewis explained.

A photographer will be on hand to snap pictures of the climbers as they complete their final step, she said.

Lewis said local businesses have helped with the event by offering sponsorships and spreading the word among their employees and the community.

"I had a call from a woman today (Thursday) who was asking questions about it. She said she had just found out about it at work. She said she's going to run in the (Major Ronald Wayne Culver Hero 5K Run/Walk) and then she's going to come over the stair climb," Lewis said.

The deadline has passed to register online. Lewis said onsite registrations will begin at 10:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35.

Parents and legal guardians must sign a waiver for children under 18 who want to participate. Climbers are not required to complete the full 1,980 steps.

Upon check-in and registration, climbers will receive a T-shirt and a counter to track their steps. They will also have a selection of badges to honor fallen, 9/11 emergency workers.

Lewis said climbers may choose one or multiple badges to wear during the climb, noting that participants are already claiming badges they'd like to wear.

For instance, she said Wetherington selected the badge of New York City Fire Department Chaplain Mychal Judge, who reportedly became the first certified casualty of the 9/11 attacks.

"They will be completing the climb for them. We're remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I think it's going to be a good event," Lewis said.

For more information, call Lewis at 870-881-4855 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. today.

The Arkansas 9/11 Memorial at the El Dorado Conference Center includes a marker recognizing the four Arkansans who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States: Sarah Elizabeth Low of Batesville; Malissa White, of Bald Knob; Nehamon Lyons IV of Pine Bluff; and Tom Burnett of Little Rock. (Contributed)
The Arkansas 9/11 Memorial at the El Dorado Conference Center includes a marker recognizing the four Arkansans who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States: Sarah Elizabeth Low of Batesville; Malissa White, of Bald Knob; Nehamon Lyons IV of Pine Bluff; and Tom Burnett of Little Rock. (Contributed)

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