September 1, 2022 |
The hallowed date of 9/11, the day “we will never forget,” will be observed this year in Rawlins with a special event. Local resident Tink Day is again organizing a memorial stair climb and 5K run walk to commemorate the nation came to a standstill in the shadow of the horrific attack.
September 11th is very important to Day, a former first responder herself. She has been organizing ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary since 2002. In recent years, she introduced a stair climb and 5K. Day says the climb memorializes the 2,996 people whose lives were tragically cut short on that fateful day. The stairs of the Outlaw Bowl symbolize the dangerous ascent first responders made to rescue office workers stranded on the upper floors of the buildings. Day says that climbing the stadium stairs 22 times represents the 110 floors of the Twin Towers.
Everyone takes a different amount of time to climb the stairs. Some folks are able to make the journey in as little as 30 minutes while others can take two and a half hours. It’s not a race.
A 5K walk or run is available for those that choose not to tackle the stairs. The 5K starts at the Rawlins High School stadium, winds its way through the city, and ends back at the high school. Day will mark the route for the memorial run with signs bearing interesting details about 9/11.
Sign-in is at noon at Outlaw Stadium. The event will begin with the Pledge
of Allegiance. A flag ceremony with police, fire, and EMS will also be held. Rawlins resident, Sandra Sullivan, will sing the National Anthem. She has done so for the past two years.
The flag ceremony is free and open to all. The entry fee to participate in the stair climb and 5K is $25, with proceeds going to Will’s Warriors, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance. First responders receive a $5 discount. All participants will be given a t-shirt and a lanyard with information about someone who lost their life on 9/11.
A former EMT, Day never let a year pass without memorializing 9/11 in some way. For the 20th anniversary, Day proposed a stair climb and 5K. This is the second year the event will take place at the Outlaw stadium.
Day’s dedication to keeping 9/11 alive in people’s minds has been rewarded by the Rawlins fire department. In 2020, Joe Torrillo, a New York City firefighter who was severely injured in the attacks, presented Day with a plaque that contained metal from the Towers.
Day has committed her life to making sure that Carbon County will never forget.
This year’s event will be held on Sunday, September 9/11. Everyone is invited, for free, to observe the flag ceremony and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The event starts at noon.
