Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb
COMING SOON! The 16th Annual Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb will be in-person at the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Wednesday, 9/11/2024
9:00 a.m. Check-In at the Ameristar
Opening ceremony will be outside on Richman Street
9:30 a.m. Ceremony and Moment of Silence
9:45 a.m. Climb Begins
Finish Check-Out, Raffle, Gift Bag Post-Climb Reception on the 9th Floor until Noon
Registration
$20.00
Coming Soon! Register Online
To become a sponsor of our 2024 event, please contact City of Black Hawk Event Coordinators:
Rebecca Blondo
303-582-2248
Email
Firefighter Steven Roybal
303-582-0426
Email
Past climb photos are located on our Facebook page. Thank you to the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa, Black Hawk Fire, Gilpin Ambulance Authority, and all participants who joined us at the 2022 climb. It was once again a memorable and emotional event. We are looking forward to a successful in-person climb in 2023. Thank you for your continued support of the NFFF.
Tribute to a Heroic Journey
The City of Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is a way for first responders and the general public to remember September 11, 2001, honor the memory of those who were lost, and support a worthwhile cause. Your individual tribute not only remembers their sacrifice, but symbolically completes their heroic journey to save others. Participants climb to pay tribute to the fallen 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 8 EMT’s, and 3 state officers whose photos and names line the stairwells.
The Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb began in 2009 at the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa in Black Hawk, Colorado with just a few members of the Black Hawk Fire Department and Gilpin Ambulance Authority climbing to honor those who were lost on September 11, 2001. Over the years, the memorial climb has grown to involve other fire departments, City personnel, business partners, casino staff, family, and friends.
The stair climb, sponsored by the City of Black Hawk and hosted by the Ameristar, is supported by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control with its National Fire Academy Weekend. The proceeds from the event will support the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) who create and maintain programs that support fire service survivors. NFFF provides much needed assistance to the surviving families and co-workers of the firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.
The Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb has a unique added degree of difficulty. Unlike other climbs, participants will not only begin the challenge at 8,042 feet above sea level, but will also gain 192 feet of elevation, making the Black Hawk 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb the highest stair climb in the world.
Participants will climb a total of 116 floors in four laps in the Ameristar hotel tower, exceeding the total levels of the World Trade Center by six floors. Each lap takes participants to the Ameristar’s pool deck with majestic views of the area before descending back to ground level. This event is not a race, rather a gathering to honor the fallen, help those who were affected on that day, and let the world know we will never forget.
Participants should prepare for the drastic change in elevation and understand their personal limits. This is not a competition. Participants do not need to complete all four laps to participate.
Event participants may choose to complete the climb wearing their uniform, bunker gear, SCBA, or workout clothes, as desired. (SCBA and bunker gear will not be provided, please bring your own).